As the death toll from the cholera epidemic in Abuja has risen to 60, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has announced measures to boost community awareness.
Suspected cases of Cholera in Abuja have increased from 604 to 698 in the past 72 hours, according to the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu.
The minister, who was aided by the Ag. Dr. Iwot Ndaeyo, the Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Health Care Board, said Abaji area council has three suspected cases but no fatalities, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) has 281 suspected cases but 22 deaths, and Bwari Area Council has 134 suspected cases but 22 deaths.
Additionally, the Gwagwalada area council has 220 suspected cases with nine fatalities, the Kuje area council has 23 suspected cases with four deaths, and the Kwali area council has 37 suspected cases with three deaths.
Aliyu, on the other hand, promised that the government would not sit by and watch people die from illnesses that might have been avoided.
Hon. Ibrahim Idris, Chairman of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), spoke on Thursday. Abdullahi Adamu Candido reaffirmed his council’s resolve to halting the disease’s spread.
“As an area council, we sprang into action as soon as we got word of the epidemic in June, and it was confirmed. In order to respond promptly, we immediately deployed our health professionals in all of our primary healthcare institutions. In addition to the medicines, infusions, and other treatment materials/consumables we got from the FCT Public Health Department, we supplied money for rapid procurement of drugs, infusions, and other treatment materials/consumables.
“Through Disease Surveillance Notification Officers, the Disease Control Unit of our Primary Health Care Department has been working diligently in various areas throughout the council, including hard-to-reach fields, to locate and report cases to primary healthcare institutions for free treatment.”
