The federal government has urged state and local governments to increase environmental health monitoring in locations across the country where food and beverages are served.
Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for Environment, issued the decree in an Abuja statement on Monday. He also stated that the locations include marketplaces, parking lots, schools, dining establishments, stadiums, and locations for religious and athletic events.
Salako emphasized that the actions will contribute to the prevention and control of the disease as well as assist stop the cholera from spreading further.
Additionally, he called on all local government chairs and commissioners for the environment to assist environmental health officers nationwide in stepping up sanitation and hygiene initiatives through improved community-led complete sanitation.
In keeping with the federal government’s “one health” strategy, he says it’s necessary to improve cooperation with other stakeholders and the health authorities.
To stop further spread across the nation, the minister stated that plans had been established to supply the majority of impacted states with food, water, and chlorine solution or tablets.
Salako pointed out that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, or NCDC, had released a situation report recently that included 1,159 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 30 deaths spread over 30 States.
He determined that the most impacted states—Bayelsa, Lagos, Zamfara, Abia, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Delta, and Katsina—accounted for 90% of all cases.
“The ministry has actively participated in efforts to stop the deadly disease from spreading through the Department of Pollution Control and the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria, or EHCON.
He said, “The ministry has been involved through environmental sanitation campaigns, household water chlorination, and food and water testing to identify sources of infection.”