Borno government to vaccinate 900,000 persons

chika ebuzor

September 18, 2017 5:56 PM

Dr Haruna Mshelia, disclosed this on Monday while inaugurating the exercise at the Muna Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri.

The Borno Government says it will inoculate 900,000 persons in a five-day vaccination to control cholera outbreak in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Haruna Mshelia, disclosed this on Monday while inaugurating the exercise at the Muna Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Maiduguri.

Mshelia said that cholera vaccines would be administered on children above aged one and adult in the affected communities.

He listed the affected areas as Maiduguri, Jere, Dikwa and Monguno.

The commissioner confirmed that 48 persons had died of the disease, while over 1,000 cases were recorded in the past two months in the state.

He added that most of the patients were treated and discharged at the Cholera Treatment Centres (CTU) and Oral Rehydration Points (ORT) set up in the affected communities.

“Most of the patients were treated of diarrhoea and vomiting,” he said, adding that the government has adopted proactive measures to combat the disease.

Mshelia said that the state government had conducted community sensitisation, environment and hygiene activities in the affected communities.

He disclosed that 5,612 households were sensitised on hand washing, hygiene and environmental sanitation, adding that sanitation kits were also distributed to the communities.

“Over 1,000 latrines were also evacuated in the communities during the exercise,” Mshelia said.

Mr Babakolo Waziri, the Immunisation Officer, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, said 348,000 persons would be inoculated in 360 communities of the area.

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Waziri listed some of areas as Umarari, Sajeri and Sabon Gari as well as IDP camps at Muna, CAN, Bakasi, Mogolis and Teachers village.

He added that the state ministry of health had supplied 8,000 doses of cholera vaccines, while 1,200 health workers were deployed to facilitate smooth conduct of the exercise.

chika ebuzor