Five dead as Cholera outbreak hits Plateau communities

Dr Nicholas Baamlong, Commissioner for Health in Plateau State, has revealed that there have been 11 cases of cholera confirmed in the state with five fatalities while 53 cases have been suspected.

This was revealed by Dr Baamlong during a briefing for journalists in Jos on Sunday where he indicated that the suspected and confirmed cases of the disease were discovered in the community of Pushit, Mangu 1 and Mangu 2 under the Mangu Local Government Area.

According to him, the state is taking necessary measures through the Ministry of Health to address the situation and stop further spread of the disease.

Furthermore, the commissioner stated that the government of the state has already put measures in place to stop the outbreak and save the lives of the people such as deploying more Rapid Response Team to the wards of the affected communities and ensuring availability of treatment facilities and medicines.

According to the commissioner, the ministry has put an Incident Management System (IMS) into action to respond to the problem.

“The activation of the IMS ensures a coordinated, efficient and accountable response structure in line with national and international emergency response frameworks,” he said.

Baamlong explained that cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by consuming food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

He urged residents of Mangu LGA and neighbouring communities to remain vigilant and take preventive measures, including drinking safe water, maintaining proper hand hygiene, avoiding open defecation and ensuring proper waste disposal.

He also advised residents to promptly report suspected cases of cholera to the nearest healthcare facility for immediate attention.

While reaffirming the state government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of residents, Baamlong called on development partners and other stakeholders to support ongoing response efforts. (NAN)