Rivers
Stakeholders Urges For Investment in WASH To Check Cholera
A stakeholder in Rivers State Mr. Napoleon Adah, has called for massive investment in Water Sanitation And Hygiene (WASH) to check cases of cholera outbreak in the state.
Adah, who’s the Acting General Manager of Rivers State Rural Water Supply And Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), called for massive investment in Water Sanitation and Hygiene to check all incidences of waterborne diseases in the state.
He made the call in Okrika during a capacity building workshop for health workers organized by the Okrika Local Government Council in conjunction with the Agency at Okrika, saying no death was recorded during the last cholera out break in some parts of the state.
According to him, though cases of cholera outbreak were reported in some Local Government Areas, the Agency has not received any news of death.
He listed the affected Local Government Areas to include Andoni, Gokana, and Okrika.
“So far we have cases in Andoni, Gokana, and even in Okrika, so we are making effort with the help of the Primary Health Care Board, and Ministry of Water Resources.
“We are on top of the situation. We have not recorded any death”, he said.
He said the workshop was to prepare health workers in the area for emergency response in the event of further outbreak of the disease.
“We are here to flag off capacity building in the eradication of cholera in Rivers state.
“The Rivers State Government has already made a pronouncement through the Assembly that sanitation facilities be provided in public places in the state. That is a right step in the right direction and that is a way of obeying Order 0009, which was signed by Buhari Government in 2019”, he said.
The RUWASSA Acting General Manager further said by this pronouncement, Rivers State Government under the leadership of Sir Siminalaye Fubara has laid the foundation for the eradication of open defecation in the state.
He said the workshop was to equip the trainees with necessary tools to carry the message to their various communities.
“This programme is put together to make sure that after this training they’ll go to their various communities to also pass the message as it concerns the issues of cholera scourge that is ravaging the country”, he stated.
Adah said the trainees will be taught proper hand washing techniques.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ndubuisi Akpuh, a Co-Director from the Public Health Department, Rivers State Ministry of Health, said behavioral change is necessary to check further out break of cholera in the state.
Akpuh, who spoke at the event, stressed the need for regular hand washing, saying high level hygiene should be practices in Communities.
He also told them to avoid over crowding, while also ensuring that their surroundings are kept clean.
Speaking on the role of volunteer promoters, Mr. Jaja Ezekiel said hygiene promoters must know the rudiments of hand washing.
On her part, Eunice Essien said personal hygiene should be practiced regularly.
Some of the trainees thanked the Agency for the programme and promised to carry the message to all communities in the area.
John Bibor, Toku Kalio