Lagos warns residents against promoting outbreak
Lagos State Government, yesterday, issued a directive for heightened vigilance and the adoption of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of a potential cholera outbreak in the state.
This call follows severe gastroenteritis cases reported in the state in the last 48 hours.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who spoke on the surveillance reports reaching the ministry, said that cases of severe gastroenteritis had been reported in communities around Eti-Osa, Lagos Island, Ikorodu and Kosofe local councils, resulting in about 60 people being admitted in hospitals, and sadly five deaths recorded mainly from patients presenting late with extreme dehydration.
Abayomi noted that following recent rains, the state had seen a notable increase in cases of severe vomiting and watery stools, adding that urban slums and crowded areas with poor sanitation are particularly at risk.
He said that cholera is a highly contagious disease that causes severe diarrhoea and could be life-threatening, adding that it poses a significant health burden in areas with poor water treatment and sanitation, and could impact Lagos State.
He, therefore, enjoined citizens to rely on the state’s Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), and accredited local health facilities for guidance, advice, and updates on prevention, treatment, and management, adding that suspected cases can be reported via the following emergency hotlines: 08023169485, 08137412348, or by using helplines 767 or 112.
He promised to keep the public informed and restated the commitment of the state to ensuring the well-being of its citizens.
