DESPITE the frenetic efforts being made by the Lagos State government to end the scourge of cholera which broke out in Nigeria’s most populous state, the situation is yet to be brought under permanent control. On Wednesday, two new unconfirmed suspected cases were presented at the Professor Shaffdeen Amuwo Primary Health Centre, at Sura, on Lagos Island.
The cases, Sunday Tribune investigations revealed, involved a 12-year-old male student of Dolphin Junior High School, Sura, Lagos, Al-Amin Adenuga and Fathia Ajeniyi, a 16-year-old female resident in the Okepopo area of the state.
According to statistics on the outbreak of cholera declared by the state Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi, cases of suspected cholera as of Tuesday had risen to 579 while 29 cholera-related deaths had been recorded. Of this number, Lagos Island has the highest number of cases followed by Eti-Osa and Kosofe Local Government Areas.
Giving an update on the epidemic across states of the federation, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said as of Wednesday, 1,528 suspected cases of cholera and 53 deaths were recorded in 31 out of the 36 states across 107 Local Government Areas.
Cholera is a bacteria disease causing severe diarrhoea and dehydration, usually spread in contaminated water. Its symptoms include diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, dehydration, muscle cramps and seizure. If left untreated, cholera can be fatal within hours, even in previously healthy people. The disease, an acute diarrhoeal disease, has a global spread. To address this challenge, the World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2023 declared the spread of cholera as a Grade 3 emergency, the highest grade., confirming its threat to global health and wellbeing. According to researches, annually, 4.0million cases of cholera and 143, 000 deaths are recorded worldwide.
Cholera victims narrate experience
Though the causative factor(s) of the current outbreak, particularly in Lagos, is being hotly disputed, what is not in doubt is the harrowing experience sufferers pass through. Prior to his admission at the centre, a health officer at the health centre told Sunday Tribune, Al-Amin Adenuga’s case was presented as a mild malaria. But moments later, the symptoms of what the doctor later diagnosed as cholera manifested and he was quickly placed on admission for proper treatment.
The health officer, who craved anonymity, said Adenuga was brought to the centre in his school uniform by his sister having complained of stomach pain, general weakness of the body and frequent stooling and vomiting.
He explained: “His health deteriorated so fast that his case was treated as an emergency. Between when he was brought to the centre by his sister and the time he was attended to, he vomited five times and passed loose stool four times. This indicated the severity of his condition.
“He was brought in in his school uniform, which indicated that he was already in school before he fell ill and was rushed down. He vomited on the floor. In fact, we were all thrown into panic, as he messed up the entire reception room of the health centre that we had to disinfect the floor with an antiseptic.”
Efforts made to speak with Adenuga yielded no positive outcome as he was asleep when Sunday Tribune visited his ward.
For 16-year-old Fathia Ajeniyi, how she contracted the disease remained a mystery. According to her, she headed straight to the health centre when she suddenly developed general weakness of the body, blurred vision and dehydration.
Lying helplessly on the bed in her ward with her voice was almost inaudible and weak, she said, “It started last night, when I began to feel tired. At first, I felt I was reacting to the swallow food I ate, but this morning (Wednesday), it became worse. I didn’t pass watery stool and there was no vomiting as well, but I was just feeling sick. This morning, I have not had my breakfast when the symptoms started showing up.
“So I drank water, but instead of it to subside, my condition became aggravated. Perhaps the water was contaminated. When the tiredness and dizziness persisted and my mouth became dry, it was at this point I was rushed down here,” she narrated.
Adeniyi Adeshina, a resident in Freeman Street, Lagos Island, narrowly survived cholera-related death as he passed watery stool three times every day for four days. According to him, his health condition got worse after eating the ram meat he was served by his Muslim friends on Eid-el-Kabir, Ileya day. Consequently, he passed watery stool three times a day for four days which was further complicated by back pain, abdominal pain and stomach rumbling.
Narrating his experience, he told Sunday Tribune how he was saved with flagyl and salt-sugar water solution.
“It all began a day after the Ileya festival,” he began. “I started feeling pain in my stomach. The pain gradually extended to my back and I began to stool. I passed watery stool three times in a day for four days. I became weak and dehydrated and my stomach rumbled.
“So, on the fifth day, when the stooling became unbearable, I decided to buy flagyl and I mixed salt and sugar in a one litre bottled water which I drank for two days. I was relieved of all the symptoms of the disease.”
CDCs lament non-inclusion in fight against cholera
To stem the spread of the cholera epidemic, the Lagos State government has embarked on massive enlightenment campaign across local government areas in the state. The state commissioner for health, Professor Abayomi, announced that the government had adopted the One Health Strategy, an approach involving a collaborative response among relevant government agencies while excluding the Community Development Councils (CDCs) and Community Development Areas (CDAs).
This measure, he stated, is aimed at promoting a unified effort in preventing and curbing the spread of the disease in Lagos communities.
Reacting, CDC chairman in the Lagos Mainland Local Government, Alhaji Salako Babatunde, expressed displeasure over the non-inclusion of the CDCs in the advocacy and enlightenment campaign to curb the spread of the disease. According to him, the enlightenment campaign, as good as it is, is not all embracing because the community councils are not part of it.
He said: “Health and environment officers in the council have been going around communities sensitising residents in the district. They embarked on enlightenment campaign educating the masses on preventives measures. But our concern is, the CDCs are excluded in this effort by the government.
“We are not involved in the enlightenment campaign. We are at the grassroots. We know the nooks and crannies of our communities and we are the closest to the people. Therefore, we should be carried along in this very important campaign. Having said this, in Lagos Mainland, we have not recorded any case of cholera outbreak, but despite this, the Lagos State government needs to include the CDCs in the scheme of things, especially in the fight against the epidemic.”
Eti-Osa is one of the Local Government areas that have been massively hit by the scourge of cholera epidemic, the cause of which the former Secretary of the Community Development Community in the district, Mr Babatunde Oladimeji, attributed to perennial flooding and blocked drainage channels. He appealed to the Lagos State government to tackle the flooding issues along Lekki-Epe corridor especially in Agungi, Jakande, Ilasan, Mayegun and Eti-osa.
He added: “The outbreak of cholera in Eti-osa Local Government is majorly caused by unsafe environment and the incessant flooding in the axis. We need the government to construct a big collector to relief residents and motorists in the axis.
“The drainage systems have been blocked. This is partly responsible for the recurring incidences of flooding which remains stagnant on the road emitting unpleasant odour. The situation is that bad that many residents are considering moving out of the area.
“We have written several letters to the state government and the local council but there has been no response from them. The government needs to be intentional in solving our plights. If a bigger collector is constructed, flooding will be prevented and the environment will be clean, safe for residents and the issues of cholera will be solved.
“So, for me, to contain the spread of cholera epidemic, the government must clear the drainage systems to allow for free flow of flood. With this done, the environment will be clean and healthy for living,” he explained.
Poor sanitary hygiene cause of cholera outbreak- Resident
Speaking on the likely causes of cholera outbreak, a retiree and resident in Odunfa Street, Lagos Island, Mr Saliu Oriyomi, said poor sanitary hygiene and filthy environment could be the major cause, especially on the Lagos Island.
According to him, because of the compact nature of buildings on the Island, waste handling and disposal has become a daunting task for many residents. He stated that there is no enough space for residents to live not to talk of space to dispose their waste.
“Before the Muslim festival, Lagos Island is very dirty. Many communities are not conducive for living and doing business. This is further complicated by the improper handling of remnants and waste from cattle slaughtered by Muslims during the Ileya festival. The unhygienic handling of the waste generated from the slaughtered animals polluted the entire environment. The air became polluted while animal faeces and blood littered the drainage channels.
“Also, the compact nature of houses on the Lagos Island is another factor. There is need for the state government to intervene and ensure the environment is clean and habitable for residents. If it is possible, the government needs to fumigate the entire Lagos Island and strictly enforce the state environmental laws to eradicate cholera and other diseases.”
Cultivate personal hygiene- Chairman, Medical Guild, Abdulssallam tells Nigerians
Meanwhile, the chairman of Medical Guild, Lagos, Dr Maruf Abdussallam, has urged Nigerians to cultivate personal hygiene to prevent the spread the spread of cholera epidemic. According to him, every Nigerian is susceptible to cholera, but some people are more prone to contracting it than others.
Speaking on preventive measures earlier in an interview with Sunday Tribune, he added, “Everyone is susceptible because we all touch surfaces; we drink water and eat foods. But some people are more prone to contacting cholera than others. Importantly, people who live in slums and shanties and practise open defecation and those that don’t uphold personal hygiene are more susceptible than other members of the society.
“The highest case load is still in Lagos Island followed by Kosofe local government and Alimosho and interestingly, people in Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Ijora-Badia have lower numbers compared to people on the Island. Those slums in the urban areas are where cholera is concentrated.
“One of the things that can limit the spread of cholera is personal hygiene. Even when the bacteria are presence, once you cultivate the habit of personal hygiene, then you will be prevented from contracting the disease. Another is the environment: make your environment clean and try as much as possible to discourage open defecation. And, of course, encourage those who depend on pipe-borne water to boil the water before they drink. Also the state government can also help in the development of vaccine. The government needs to keep sensitising and educating the public on preventive measures.”
ALSO READ: Content creators in Nigeria now eligible for Facebook monetisation
