The Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has confirmed the deaths of seven people in the nation’s capital, which are linked to 91 suspected Cholera cases.
Dr Mohammed Kawu, the Acting Secretary of the HHSS, revealed this to the press yesterday at a briefing on the Cholera outbreak, noting that three of the seven reported deaths tested positive for cholera using the Rapid Diagnostic Test kit.
Suspected instances had been recorded in three Area Councils, he said: Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Gwagwala Municipal Area Council and Bwari.
According to Kawu , “All the seven deaths associated with the faeco-oral gastro intestinal disease were recorded in AMAC out of which three of the cases tested positive to Cholera using the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit.
” The HHSS began to receive reports of sporadic cases gastro-enteritis in some FCT communities including the IDP Camp in Wassa, Dei-Dei, Zuba, Shenagum and Kubwa.”
He also attributed the sporadic outbreak to the leaching of sewage into the drinking water ways during the rainy season and the contamination of food matters by the bacteria.
The Acting Secretary noted that the FCTA had deployed some RDT test kits, drugs and consumables in some of its health facilities that have reported Cholera cases, while also in the process of distributing the commodities to the remaining health facilities including some primary health facilities.
He added that the HHSS through the Department of Public Health has intensified surveillance in the health facilities and has also directed the area councils to do the same respectively.
Kawu, however, urged FCT residents to report any case of diarrheal disease to the nearest health facility and improve on general personal hygiene in addition to ensuring that the water used for domestic purposes is clean and boiled and ensure that faecal wastes are hygienically disposed of.
