Health
THE University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada, has advised residents of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to keep their surroundings clean to prevent outbreak of cholera in the area.
Mr Frank Omagbon, the hospital’s Information Officer, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gwagwalada on Wednesday.
The officer said there was need for stakeholders’ collaboration to promote access to water supply and sanitation in the rural communities.
According to him, Nigeria is still one of the countries in the world that is cholera endemic, saying that the disease is preventable and treatable.
“I want to challenge residents to take the hygiene of their environment seriously to guard against infection from any form of disease.
“People should be mindful of the kind of food they consume; It is better consuming the ones you prepared yourself.
“I advise residents in the FCT to keep their surroundings clean and to observe sanitation exercise regularly,” he said.
Omagbon expressed concern over the lack of commitment from sector actors towards increased access to potable water and sanitation.
Besides, he explained, that there was need for governments at all levels to create emergency working group and response plan from the rural level to reduce disease outbreaks.
However, he said continuous practice of open defecation, poor personal hygiene, poor environment sanitation, poor access to water supply were causes of increasing cases.
He said that the teaching hospital was prepared to tackle any emergency and ensure that “cholera is not recorded in the area’’.
Omagbon noted that hand washing and portable drinking water remained an effective way of preventing all diseases.
The officer urged families as well as corporate organisations to re-adopt the use of Tip-Taps and hand sanitisers in public places.
– Apr. 11, 2018 @ 12:30 GMT |
BE
Tags: Cholera: Officer advises FCT residents to keep surroundings clean
