Nine Dead, Others Hospitalized As Cholera Disease Spreads In Ebonyi Community

Cholera disease spread has reportedly led to the death of at least nine people in a community in Ebonyi State.

Reports obtained by Naija News revealed that unconfirmed numbers of people are now receiving medical attention at hospitals following the spread of the bacterial disease.

The nine casualties, according to reports, were residents of the Akpoha community, in the Afikpo North local government area of the state.

Though medical officials had told reporters that only 30 people were hospitalized, residents, however, argued that the number may be higher.

Naija News understands that the state government on Sunday scrambled a State Rapid Response Team to the community to help bring the situation under control.

The Chairperson of the local government, Uchenna Ibiam, led the team which comprised staff of the Ministry of Health and that of the National Center For Disease Control (NCDC) to the community.

Addressing the village heads, men, women and youth of the Akpoha community, Ibiam regretted the situation, observing that most of the victims were children.

He urged the people of the area not to panic as the situation is under control.

He commended the state government for responding promptly, especially in sending Rapid Response Team to assist Health Workers at Akpoha in containing the situation.

The council boss further admonished the residents of the area to adhere strictly to medical advice from health professionals to stem the outbreak.

To complement the state government’s provision, Ibiam, who took time to visit the victims at the various Health facilities at Akpoha, promised to drill four solar boreholes within 2weeks (two per ward), to enable them to have access to clean water.

He said that his visit was to serve as psychological therapy to the people of the area and to assure them of the administration’s readiness for humanitarian interventions to save their children from mortality from a cholera outbreak and other diseases.

The Chairperson also gave out some relief materials including foams, disinfectants and cash to the people.

The people of the area thanked Mr Ibiam for his prompt spot assessment of the situation and for giving them reasons not to despair.

The latest incident comes three weeks after a similar incident in the Ezillo community in the Ishielu Local Government Area of the state which claimed five lives

Earlier, a health specialist in the state Ministry of Health, who spoke on condition of anonymity attributed the incessant outbreaks in the state to open defecation and lack of potable water in most rural communities of the state.

He urged the state government to find a lasting solution to the perennial water scarcity in the state and embark on the construction of toilet facilities in rural communities.

He noted that the lives of innocent Ebonyi people are at risk because the of government’s failure to provide basic amenities.