The death toll of the cholera outbreak in Katsina has risen to over 150 with a total of 5, 677 confirmed cases recorded in 33 out of the 34 local government areas of the state as of September 5.
The figure seems to have doubled from the last briefing held on August 10, where the death toll was put at 75, while confirmed cases stood at 1,534 from 25 local government areas.
Confirming the recent figure, the Executive Secretary, Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Shamsudeen Yahaya, said the figures were gathered from hospitals and other primary health care centres in the state.
He said though there is an increase in the number, the government is taking proactive measures to prevent the further spread of the disease.
According to Dr Shamsudeen, part of the measures include procurement and prompt distribution of drugs to all the health facilities across the local government areas of the state, active case contact tracing and management, as well as training of health personnel on effective case detection and management.
The Executive Secretary further hinted that other measures include going house to house with the assistance of the Voluntary Community Mobilizers, VCMs, who are teaching people the signs and symptoms as well as how to prepare Oral Rehydration Solution, ORS, and Oral Salt Solution, OSS.
He also noted that a large quantity of chlorine has been distributed to all the 34 local government areas’ water and sanitation departments to assist in disinfecting wells that serve as a source of water in some communities.
While assuring that the government will keep on being proactive in the fight against cholera, Dr Shamsudeen urged the public not to engage in indiscriminate dumping of refuse, indiscriminate open defecation, avoid an unhygienic environment, and eat only healthy food to control the rapid spread of cholera.