Monday, July 1, 2024 -The Lagos State government on Sunday, June 30, disclosed that 25 cases of severe gastroenteritis at Kirikiri Medium Security Prison were confirmed to be caused by cholera.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin
Abayomi, while giving an update on the outbreak of cholera in the state, added
that urgent medical and environmental intervention measures had been implemented
with success.
“We were able to supply Kirikiri
medium prison with intravenous fluids, infection prevention and other health
consumables.
“Additionally, the World Health
Organisation (WHO) has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals which have been
delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention
strategies for about 3,200 inmates if required.
“Immediate water and sanitation issues
have been corrected and there is ongoing inspections of other correctional
facilities in the state," the commissioner said.
Addressing the source of the original
outbreak two weeks ago, Abayomi disclosed that it has been traced to
unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supply.
He explained that many of the samples taken
from popular street beverages purchased by undercover environmental officers
from the Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ministry of Health
in the affected areas confirmed the presence of vibrio cholera bacteria, which
is the cause of cholera.
“All of containers had no NAFDAC
accreditation numbers, indicating they are small cottage backyard informal
production units. Identifying the precise location of manufacture has proven
difficult and the directorate of environmental health is planning to seal any
such unregulated manufacture and make arrests of anybody involved with manufacture
or distribution of beverages without NAFDAC numbers," Abayomi said.
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