Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that the recent cholera outbreak in some northern states had been contained through the rapid responses from NCDC and other partners.

Aside reinvigorated vaccination campaigns, led by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the NCDC said its rapid responses that focused primarily on improved access to clean water and sanitation in the affected states had had tremendous effect on the fight against cholera.

The Centre, however, confirmed in a statement that cholera cases were still being reported in eight states including Adamawa, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Kogi, Plateau and Kaduna, but had been significantly restricted to the affected locations.

The NCDC added, in the statement, that in the last four weeks, no new case of cholera was recorded in Anambra, Nassarawa and Yobe states.

NCDC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, said in the statement that as at July 8, a total of 16,008 suspected cases including 186 deaths recorded in 16 states since the beginning of 2018.

He, however, confirmed that the cases were being treated at designated treatment centres in affected states.

“We are working with the States Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, and other partners to support the rapid response,” he said.

READ ALSO: Ex-Enugu Speaker, Odoh declares for Senate

He was impressed with the interventions from the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) component of the response, led by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources (FMWR), which was helpful in the containment of the epidemics.

“It provided motorised solar-powered boreholes, sanitation units with hand washing facilities, as well as blocks of latrine compartment in affected states to improve sanitation,” he added.