THE UNENDING CHOLERA SCOURGE
Good personal hygiene could help in stemming the disease
For more than four decades, cholera has been a recurring disease in Nigeria and has led to the death of thousands, especially children. While there have been some efforts by the federal government to deal with the challenge, we have not seen a corresponding commitment from the state governments. Yet, that is where cholera appears to be ravaging citizens the most. That no fewer than 91 fatalities have been recorded from cholera within January and July this year should concern all relevant authorities. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 31 states across 190 local government areas are currently reporting suspected cases in 2022.
As an under-reported disease, the casualty figures from cholera are likely to be far higher and hardly any state can be exempted, especially during the raining season. “We need to provide good water to prevent cholera outbreaks and ensure that things we eat especially fruits are properly cleaned before we can consume them,” a United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) official admonished.
Cholera, which often leads to the infection of the small intestine, is mostly contracted through drinking of contaminated water and eating of waste products.
It is a shame that Nigerians are still afflicted by such a disease in age that we are in. But with the systemic collapse of critical institutions and basic health facilities in many of the states today, it is also little surprise that the country is made to spend more on the treatment of cholera rather than on its prevention. Since the first crisis concerning the spread of the disease begins with failure to provide potable water for their people, most of the governors should be held accountable for cholera prevalence in our country.
The spread of cholera becomes worse when the environment is not clean; when water system is not treated and when sanitation is not taken seriously. In many of our states, the villagers and rural dwellers are left to rely on streams as the only source of drinking water and there are no provisions for disposing waste. In most cases also, the people rely on stagnant water for washing their clothes and other items. Therefore, since cholera is more prevalent in rural areas, the problem becomes more compounded when and where there are no modern medical facilities to assist in the treatment of the disease.
Beyond what government should do, Nigerians should also not neglect the issue of personal hygiene. All they need to always do is simple hand washing before eating, after going to the toilet, and should also cover their foods against flies. Since cholera kills when a person loses too much bodily fluids, such deaths are preventable if victims are quickly rehydrated. And since no vaccine has been developed against cholera, what is commonly used is oral rehydration solutions (ORS) as part of measures to mitigate the problem. But prevention is still better than cure. To that extent, our rural dwellers and the urban poor should be taught the rules of basic hygiene.
The world has moved ahead of the era where cholera kills citizens. Healthcare officials and other critical stakeholders in Nigeria must therefore sit up to do the needful. Authorities in the 36 states must do more in providing adequate clean water for the citizens, especially for those in the rural areas. We must work towards stemming the cholera affliction.
