Following the spread of cholera in Lagos State, including the outbreak of the disease in the Kirikiri prison, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has offered support to the Lagos State Government (LASG) to help curtail its spread, News About Nigeria reports.
The Commissioner for Health in the State, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this during a recent update on the cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
He noted that the WHO donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals, which have been delivered to the prison, to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required.
He stated that there has been a successful implementation of urgent medical and environmental intervention measures, adding that the state government has also been able to supply Kirikiri medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention, and other health consumables.
Abayomi also revealed that the recent cholera outbreak in Lagos stemmed from unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supplies, identified as the primary sources two weeks ago.
He explained that numerous samples collected from commonly sold street beverages by undercover environmental officers from the Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ministry of Health in the affected regions verified the existence of Vibrio cholera bacteria, responsible for causing cholera.
“We were able to supply Kirikiri medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention, and other health consumables.
“Additionally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals that have been delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required.
“Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected, and there are ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the state, he stated.
He, however, noted that there has been a significant improvement in daily cholera cases since the spike reported two weeks ago.
The government acknowledged evidence of ongoing low-grade community transmission because few cases were still presented to hospitals.
He disclosed that while no new deaths attributable to cholera had been reported in the past 72 hours, the government was escalating efforts to eradicate transmission entirely.
