File: Cholera outbreak at a camp

Richard Elesho

The Bayelsa State Government and the World Health Organization, WHO have been working round the clock to control the devastation from Cholera outbreak in the State. About two dozens of people were confirmed to have died in the fresh outbreak.

Not less than 200 cases in about 30 communities have been reported in the outbreak. The most affected area is Southern Ijaw Local Government, according to Daily Independent.

Dr Pabara Newton-Igwele, the Commissioner for Health, who confirmed the incident, said the state government deployed its Rapid Response Team (RRT) to prevent the spread of the cholera disease.

According to him, the government in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO) had also adopted some measures to save lives.

Newton-Igwele said, “Some of the measures include the decentralisation of the RRT in the local government areas since last October; distribution of commodities for the containment of the outbreak; ongoing search to identity active cases and the provision of oral cholera vaccines for the vaccination of people in the affected areas.”

He also stated people within the identified 30 communities had been vaccinated through a partnership between the state government and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

He further said an awareness campaign and risk communication teams had also been put in place to assist in proper information management.

Newton-Igwele noted that his ministry had also announced the setting up of an emergency operations centre for the cholera outbreak.

He called on residents not to panic as the government was on top of the situation.