As part of his ongoing effort to nip the spread of cholera in the bud, President Bola Tinubu has directed the setting up of cabinet committee that would oversee daily activities at emergency operations centres set up by the National Centre For Disease Control (NCDC)
The Minister of Health, Ali Pate, disclosed this to newsmen after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Tuesday.
Pate also disclosed that the cabinet committee has its membership drawn from the ministries of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation and Education.
He explained that the effort is in line with state government’s support to ensure that Nigeria makes desired progress in reducing open defecation.
“The council has approved a cabinet committee comprising the Federal Ministries of Health, Ministry of Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation, and Education because some of our children will be returning to school.
“In addition to this, State government will co-opt so that Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation because cholera is a developmental issue that requires a multi-sectoral approach.
“The President has also directed that cabinet committee be set up to oversee what the emergency operation centre led by NCDC is doing and for the resources to be provided and complemented by the State government”
The Health Minister stressed that about 31 states have so far recorded 1528 cases in Nigeria with 53 deaths.
“At the moment about 31 states have recorded 1528 cases and 53 deaths in Nigeria. That is what we are working on through our emergency operation centre that was activated by NCDC on Monday.
“We have a cholera outbreak and discussed extensively in the Council in addition to a new emergence of yellow fever specifically in Bayelsa State.
“On cholera, we are in the middle of the 7th pandemic globally which amounts to decades in the making. In 2022 the world had almost 500,000 cases of cholera so it is not only peculiar to Nigeria. In 2023 almost 700,000 cases of cholera were reported by the World Health Organisation
“This year more than 200,000 cases have occurred in five regions of the World. The Minister added.
He then warned that a multi-sectoral approach is required to tackle the outbreak.
“Multi-sectoral approach is given with technical partners, water resources, environment, Heath, and CSOs to ensure we contain them and resources were deployed to 21 states to help NCDC respond to cholera emergencies. We are improving awareness among Nigerians telling them that hand washing, hygiene and sanitation are constantly observed to combat the disease aside from treatment with drugs and intravenous fluids,” he concluded
