Borno sets up panel on cholera, COVID-19

Borno State Government has set up a committee to curb cholera and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) in the state.

The 11-man panel was inaugurated after the World Health Organisation (WHO) had trained 21 health champions at the Emergency Operational Centre (EOC), Maiduguri.

While inaugurating the panel, yesterday, in Maiduguri, the Deputy Governor, Umar Kadafur, disclosed: “The constitution of the committee became inevitable in view of government’s commitment to return and resettle 1.7 million displaced persons in communities.”

He added that the Ministry of Health had confirmed 43 deaths from 917 reported cases of cholera in 10 local councils, including Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC).

Kadafur attributed the outbreak to contaminated food and drinks as well as poor environmental conditions.

Chairman of the panel, the Chief of Staff, Prof. Isa Hussaini, said: “We are going to contain this situation and recommend preventative measures, so that it will not happen again.”

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Juliana Bitrus, serves as secretary of the committee.
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