Borno seeks donor support to contain cholera as death toll
exceeds 50 | Tellwell Newspaper
Tellwell Newspaper, Abuja – Nigeria:
Health authourities in Borno state have sought the assistance of international medical charities to contain an outbreak of cholera that has killed more than 50 people in the state, Tellwell Newspaper can report.
The appeal was contained in a letter to international health organizations providing Interventions in the state signed by Director of Public Health in the Borno State Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr Goni Abba, dated 14th September, 2022 and seen by Tellwell Newspaper.
According to the letter, the state’s health ministry had recorded more than 50 deaths from over 700 cholera cases reported in seven local government areas of the state, putting more than one million people at risk of infection.
The letter, titled ‘Seeking for your support to control cases of outbreak of Acute Watering Diarrhoea/Cholera’, confirmed the outbreak of the water-borne disease, after collected stool samples tested positive to the disease.
“To date, about 710 cases have so far been reported with over 50 deaths. All necessary steps have been deployed by the Ministry…to contain the outbreak” the letter read in part.
“It is against this background that we are seeking for your support and commitment for treatment and containment of the Acute Watery Diarrhoea/Cholera in Borno state,” the letter implored.
“While thanking all our partners for continued support over the years, we look forward to your prompt response,” it concluded.
Tellwell Newspaper reports that Cholera is a water-borne bacterial infection that affects the intestinal track and is characterized by vomiting, watery stool, dehydration and fatigue.
It can be transmitted by flies when they come in contact with food and can be fatal if not treated on time.
It is more prevalent in the rainy season when rainwater washes dirt and faeces into open wells and stagnant water, major sources of drinking water in rural areas
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer, suffers from a high-rate of water-borne diseases as a result of dilapidated infrastructure and under-investment.
