As the death toll from the latest cholera outbreak has hits 40, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control says the country does not have enough vaccines.
According to the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Jide Idris, Nigeria has placed an order for more cholera vaccines from donor agencies outside, although the date of delivery is still unknown.
The NCDC DG stressed the need for the country to embrace the use of vaccines and other preventive measures to curb the spread of the acute diarrhoeal infection.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease which is caused by the ingestion of the bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, in contaminated water and food.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government said that it has traced the latest cholera outbreak in the state to an unregistered tiger nut drink.
Speaking with a correspondent, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, said the officials of the Environmental Health Services from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment, were able to trace the cholera outbreak in the Eti=Osa Local Government Area to a particular brand of unregistered tiger nut drink.
She said, “When we noticed an increase in cases in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos specifically, we went there to investigate. We carried out a survey and found that the common denominator, which was one of the deadly factors, was a tiger nut drink. People who came to the hospitals all identified that they had drunk tiger nut drink.”
Also that, “We couldn’t just take their word for it, so we had to take that drink and test it to see what was in it. We immediately sent people out to look for those selling it, so we could take a sample. We found empty bottles with a name on them, but we discovered that it wasn’t even registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the regulatory body that ensures the safety of consumables.”
NCoS preventive efforts
Meanwhile, in a decisive move to safeguard the health of inmates and also staff, the Nigerian Correctional Service has intensified its efforts to prevent a cholera outbreak across its facilities.
The proactive stance came amidst the rising health concerns.
The spokesperson for the NCoS, Abubakar Umar, who spoke to a correspondent on Friday highlighted the service’s rigorous measures.
He stated “Our primary mandate includes the secure and humane custody of inmates, ensuring their welfare in all aspects, including health.”
He also emphasised that due to proactive measures, there had been no cholera outbreaks or similar epidemics in any NCoS facilities.
He mentioned, “Due to our proactiveness, we have not recorded any outbreak of cholera or any such epidemic in any of our custodial centres. Therefore, no inmate or staff is affected.”
Abubakar Umar outlined the comprehensive healthcare system in place, which included a variety of medical professionals and consistent medical supplies.
For severe cases, inmates were referred to government hospitals.
Cholera vaccine not routinely available said the NPHCDA
Also speaking with Saturday PUNCH, a source in the NPHCDA who spoke anonymously because he was not at all authorised to speak said the cholera vaccine was not routinely available in Nigeria.
He said, “Cholera vaccine is not one of our routine vaccines. So, it is not routinely available. But, there are global stocks from which any country could draw in the event of outbreaks.”
“Previous attempts at stockpiling cholera vaccine have led to expiry of the stock due to improved hygiene practices. But, it makes sense to have a stockpile of the vaccine for rapid response before applying for global support during an outbreak. We have done that, and will continue to do it,” he added.
Chinedum Anayo 
saharandaily