Cholera kills 20, 30 hospitalised in cross river state

Twenty residents of Ekureku community in Cross River State have been confirmed dead and thirty hospitalized following cholera incidents which has been traced to lack of basic amenities like pipe-borne water.

Penpushing reports that sources said 20 people died of cholera in the 10 villages in the community between Thursday and Saturday, as narrated by some residents of the affected community, just as the government said it is deploying resources to check the spread of cholera in the state

The Director General of Cross River Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Janet Ekpeyong confirmed, stating that 30 other people in Ekureku have been hospitalized, emphasisng that government has now deployed human and material resources to bring the cholera outbreak under control.

Penpushing further reports that, Ekpeyong, who expressed sadness over the deaths, said proactive measures have been taken to prevent the further spread of the disease in the affected villages in Ekureku in Abi Local Government Area of the state.

The Director General pointed out that the deaths could have been avoided if protocols were followed in the affected villages, adding that following the ugly development  government has deployed a response team together with representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Nigerian Red Cross and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.

“The combined team have all intervened accordingly and helped to save lives and prevent further spread of the disease. The government finds this incident quite unfortunate and sympathise with affected families’, she said

“Because of the fast transmission rate of cholera, we recorded many deaths, with many others hospitalised in various government-owned facilities and are responding to treatment. We are applying every possible means to halt transmission as we have gone across the community sensitising the people on the possible ways of managing the disease’,Ekpeyong said.

“We have as well been speaking to community leaders to support the government by lending their voices to ensure their communities adhere to hygiene protocols to end cholera and other related illnesses,” she added

Penpushing also reports that, the Director General explained that samples have been taken and sent for confirmation, while treatment of the water source and fumigation was ongoing.

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