Plateau to fight cholera, monkey pox outbreaks

The Plateau government has alerted all health agencies to monitor all contacts in a bid to check the spread of monkey pox having made preparations to contain cholera outbreak in parts of the state.

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kuden Kanshak, disclosed this in Jos at the weekend while chatting with journalists on the development.

Kamshak said two cases of monkey pox were recorded in Shendam Local Council where the first victim imported the disease from Port Harcourt, Rivers State and subsequently infected his elder brother.

He explained that both were treated at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital (BUTH), Jos and have since been discharged.

Speaking on the cholera outbreak in some wards of Naraguta ‘B’, Abba Nashehu, Lamingo, Angwan Rogo, Ali Kazaure, Angwan Rimi and Jenta Adamu of Jos North Council, Kamshak disclosed that the 126 cases have been listed out of which five cases are confirmed while three fatal cases were also recorded during the week.

He attributed the non-confirmation of other cases to the industrial action embarked upon by the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU), which has been suspended.

He commended the development partners, especially Doctors Without Borders, for setting up cholera treatment centre at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), to handle the epidemic.

“The ministry in collaboration with the Plateau State Primary Health Care Development Board, World Health Organisation (WHO), National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has been responding to contain the disease,” he stated.

The commissioner added: “We, however, call on the good citizens of Plateau to note that although the government is making efforts to curtail the outbreak, we need everyone to join hands with us in observing the necessary preventive measures.

“Doing this will prevent further spread of the diseases, as effective hygiene measure is the sure and only way to reduce the risk of cholera.”