Scores Killed In Kano Cholera Outbreak

kano_map203

At least, 71 persons have died in a cholera outbreak in Kano State, according to the Project Director of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in the Federal Ministry of Health, Professor AbdulSalam Nasidi.

The outbreak which was first noticed in the state on November 6th, 2013 recorded 2165 cases from 22 local government areas of the state, adding that Fagge local government area recorded the highest number of deaths with 12 lives lost.

Speaking at WHO office in Kano before handing over drugs worth over N34 million from the Federal government to assist the state, Nasidi put the total cases reported at 276.

“The first cases reported on 6th November 6, 2013 with 22 local government affected, 344 wards were affected while 713 settlement ravaged by the diseases and a total number of 71 deaths recorded from 17 local government area which represented 3.3 percent case fatality rate”.

He also explained that most of the affected persons were from the metropolitan local government, adding that the federal government donation was to support the Kano State government to address the scourge.

He assured that teams of professional health experts have been deployed to the state by the federal ministry of health to ensure the alleviation of the bacteria.

Also speaking, State commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, noted that the state government has spent over N76 million to provide necessary drugs to combat the disease in the local government areas of the state, while beds were also provided to various hospitals where affected persons were being treated.

The commissioner said “we were happy to receive the delegation today, this shows government concern to the outbreak of the Cholera in the state.

“Cholera epidemic has been in the country since September last year, though at the initial stage Kano was not affected. This can best be attributed to the effort of the government in informing the general public on the need to take adequate care of their health as well as necessary logistic provided by the government”.

Dr. Yusuf said the moment the outbreak of the cholera was noticed, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, did not waste time, adding, “this government has spent over N76 million to provide drugs to various hospitals and centres where the diseases were affected”.

He also disclosed that more medical experts were given necessary training needed to educate various communities towards guiding the occurrence of the diseases, while numerous beds were provided in the hospitals.

The Commissioner stated that the government of Kwankwaso has spent a lot in making available potable water to every nook and cranny of the state, “but when the outbreak started we were recording about 97 cases, but as I am talking to you in all the eight centres, we have less than 40 cases.