Gombe Confirms Cholera Outbreak, Treats 74 Patients

The Gombe State Government has declared a cholera outbreak in Kedo village, Todi Ward, Billiri Local Government Area, following reports of diarrhoea and vomiting that claimed two lives on October 4.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adamu-Danladi Bojude, disclosed this during a media briefing in Gombe on Wednesday, adding that 74 patients had been treated and discharged, with no active admission recorded as of the time of the briefing.

Bojude said the state government immediately deployed a Rapid Response Team to support the local government health team in investigating the outbreak and providing free treatment to affected residents at the Primary Health Centre, Sheila.

“Since then, 74 persons were treated and discharged, and there is nobody currently on admission,” the commissioner said.

He added that the state had recorded seven consecutive days without a new case as of October 21, expressing optimism that the outbreak would be declared over if no additional case was reported by October 24.

“Today, being October 21, is day seven of zero cases reported. If by day 10, October 24, no case is reported, then this particular outbreak will be declared over,” he said.

The commissioner explained that the state had strengthened its cholera prevention measures since 2023 through an annual prevention plan implemented by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA) and other development partners.

According to him, the initiative covers more than 150 identified cholera hotspots across the state’s 11 local government areas and has significantly reduced the occurrence of outbreaks.

“This has been largely very successful and has reduced the occurrence of cholera outbreaks in the state to the barest minimum. We still have some settlements that are not classified as hotspots where we may have cases,” he said.

Bojude described preparedness as critical to containing disease outbreaks, noting that the state’s response mechanism was designed to ensure prompt intervention and prevent further transmission.

“The good thing about being prepared is that we are always ready to respond on time and control such cases within the shortest possible time,” he said.

He explained that cholera is a bacterial infection transmitted through the consumption of food or water contaminated with Vibrio cholerae, warning that the disease could become fatal within hours if patients did not receive appropriate treatment.

The commissioner said the state government had activated an Incident Management System at the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate surveillance, case detection and response activities aimed at containing the outbreak.

“In the light of the above, I hereby declare the outbreak of cholera in Todi Ward of Billiri LGA. I have activated an Incident Management System at the PHEOC with full responsibilities for surveillance and effective response aimed at controlling the outbreak,” he said.

He urged residents to maintain proper food, personal and environmental hygiene and promptly report suspected cases to the nearest health facility.

Bojude assured residents that treatment for suspected cholera cases would be provided free of charge, urging the public to cooperate with health authorities to prevent further spread of the disease.

“Members of the public are hereby advised to imbibe food, personal and environmental hygiene and to report suspected cases to the nearest health facility immediately for treatment of cases free of charge,” he said.

He added that the state government remained committed to protecting residents from cholera and other public health emergencies.

SOURCE: PUNCH