PUNCH
Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, speaks to VICTORIA EDEME on the cholera outbreak in the state.
What are the primary causes of the recent cholera outbreak in Lagos State?
There have always been cases of cholera in Nigeria. We typically have isolated cases that we treat. However, we observed a surge in cholera cases between the 10th and 11th of June 2024. This increase qualifies it as an outbreak. The top three affected local government areas are Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti-Osa. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention anticipates cholera outbreaks, particularly during the rainy season, as is the case now. Firstly, this doesn’t surprise us. Secondly, we know the necessary steps to take when such outbreaks occur. It largely relates to environmental conditions and what I refer to as the social determinants of health. There are areas lacking adequate clean water, relying instead on wells. Open defecation is also prevalent. When it rains, these factors result in faecal matter contaminating water sources like wells. Other contributing factors include flooding when canals overflow and poor sanitation practices. What we observed was a sudden increase followed by a decline due to our prevention campaigns and efforts to raise awareness, encouraging regular handwashing. So, that’s the crux of the matter.
What specific factors contributed to the increased prevalence of cholera in those particular areas and regions you mentioned?
When there’s an outbreak like this, we have Environmental Health Services officials from the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment who go around ensuring that the environment is kept clean. So when we noticed an increase in cases in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos specifically, we went there to investigate. We carried out a survey and found that the common denominator, which was one of the deadly factors, was a tiger nut drink. People who came to the hospitals all identified that they had drunk tiger nut drink. We couldn’t just take their word for it, so we had to take that drink and test it to see what was in it. We immediately sent people out to look for those selling it so we could take a sample. We found empty bottles with a name on them, but we discovered that it wasn’t even registered with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the regulatory body that ensures the safety of consumables.
