The Oyo State government, on Saturday, called for the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent a potential cholera outbreak among the populace.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, made the call during a visit to a private hospital in Ibadan where two persons suspected to be cholera cases are receiving treatment.
She said that cholera is a bacterial infection spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated by the faeces of an infected person.
She said: “The two suspected cases in Ibadan, which have been tracked down to a private facility, are male workers at a construction site at Lekki Peninsula in Lagos State.”
She, however, assured that there was no cause for alarm as the ministry and other partners were on top of the situation.
Ajetunmobi said the government’s response efforts through the ministry were to ensure that the State does not record casualties from the cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
“The response efforts include promotional jingles in English and Yoruba, running in different media houses, an immediate inauguration of the Cholera Technical Working Group, putting active isolation management centres in place; and sensitisation of the gatekeepers and other well-established community structures,” she stated.
Similarly, the Ogun State Government has announced precautionary measures to prevent cholera outbreak following similar incidents in several other states.
Mr. Kayode Akinmade, Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Media and Strategy, disclosed the governor’s concern about the situation.
“We must take action to protect our residents, especially given our proximity to Lagos and the interactions between the two states,” Akinmade said.
He noted that the precautions are particularly important as the Sallah holiday approaches.
The measures include a mandate that all houses must have toilets and that any house lacking a toilet must convert a room into one, with a compliance period of three to six months.
He said all petrol stations, garages, parks, markets, and mechanic villages were required to have functional public toilets with running water, saying both public and private schools must also ensure they have toilets with running water.
“Residents are advised to drink only safe water, either boiled or chlorinated, and to practice proper hand-washing with soap after using the toilet and before handling food. Thorough washing of fruits and vegetables with safe water is also recommended,” he said.
Akinmade assured that the Ministry of Environment would enforce these measures strictly, and that violators would face legal consequences.