As most states across the country continue to grapple with cholera outbreaks, Abia State has declared that it is free of the epidemic after overcoming the initial scares.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu announced the clean bill of health while briefing journalists on the outcome of this week’s meeting of the State Executive Council.
“I want to announce to us that Abia is Cholera and diphtheria-free,” he said, adding that tests and surveillance have shown that the epidemic has not reared its head in the state.
Presently, no fewer than 2,809 cases of cholera have been reported in 148 Local Governments across 33 of the 36 states of the nation.
Kanu said that there was indeed initial cholera scare in Abia between June 30 and July 7, 2024 with 112 suspected cases reported in eight Local Governments, representing 47.05 percent of the entire State.
“Following various tests carried out and the samples collected across these eight LGAs, there were no reported cases of death, and not even a confirmed case of cholera,” he stated.
He said that the samples were tested in the national laboratory in Lagos and they all came out negative, confirming that they were no cases of cholera.
Kanu said that there were about 12 reported cases of diphtheria in two Local Governments, Osisioma and Umuahia South, resulting in three deaths.
But he explained that despite the three recorded fatalities, tests and surveillance carried out in the affected areas “did not confirm that there were further cases of diphtheria”.
Nevertheless, the Commissioner said that the state has been placed on heightened surveillance alert while the health sector personnel are working round the clock to ensure that any emergency is nipped in the bud.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr Mrs Ngozi Azodoh, who threw more light on the health situation, confirmed that all samples of suspected cases of cholera collected across the eight LGs tested negative after laboratory tests.
“We, in accordance with the protocols conducted a rapid diagnostic test, and out of those rapid diagnostic tests, only 3 came out RDT positive. We had to send those RDT positive cases to the national reference laboratory for confirmation and we are happy that all of them came back negative.
“So we are cholera free as a state. However, we will continue to maintain high levels of surveillance,” she said.
Dr Azodoh pointed out that the diphtheria scare was at Umueze community, very close to Abia state University Teaching Hospital(ABSUTH), Aba.
“We identified 12 people, we treated them and they are doing well. We also designated Abia State University Teaching Hospital as the treatment centre,” she said.
The Special Adviser on Health said that Abia was collaborating with relevant agencies, including the World Health Organisation(WHO) to ensure that the State maintained its cholera-free status.
She called on Abia residents to cultivate the habit of good hygiene to fend off cholera outbreak and other diseases.