The National Orientation Agency in Bayelsa, on Sunday, said it had commenced sensitisation to alert the residents of an outbreak of cholera in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the statewide sensitisation followed confirmation of the outbreak by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Seiyefa Brisibe, on January 26.
The acting state Director of NOA in Bayelsa, Mrs Grace Olobio, in a statement on Sunday, called on residents to be vigilant and embrace better hygiene.
Olobio said, “The outbreak is believed to have been caused by contamination of water sources and poor sanitation facilities in the affected areas.”
She explained that signs and symptoms of the disease included diarrhea, low blood pressure, dehydration, sunken eyes and extreme thirst, rapid weight loss, dry and shriveled skin as well as vomiting.
The NOA boss advised the residents to prevent the disease by boiling their water before drinking, washing their hands frequently with soap and running clean water.
She further counselled the people to avoid eating raw and undercooked foods, avoid open defecation and improper disposal of waste.
While calling for calm, the NOA boss urged residents of the state to take immediate precautions to prevent the further spread of cholera across the state.
She urged the residents to seek medical attention whenever symptoms of the disease are noticed.
The PUNCH reports that the cholera outbreak in Bayelsa was first highlighted by the Bayelsa Non-Governmental Organisations Forum, which reported fatalities in Nembe Local Government Area.
The coalition criticised the government’s delay in releasing clinical test results and its initial description of the outbreak as gastroenteritis.
BANGOF Chairman, Mr. Taritein Boco, expressed disappointment over the government’s position, stating that “people are dying” and that health workers had observed cholera symptoms, including “rice water stool.”
Prominent chiefs in Nembe also criticised the government’s denial, describing it as politically motivated.
