The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has activated its Cholera Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) after confirming 11 cases out of 32 suspected cases of the disease.
The move is part of the territory’s heightened efforts to monitor and prevent a potential cholera outbreak.
Baba Gana Adam, Permanent Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, explained that the activation was necessary given the increasing cholera cases across the country.
He noted that as a rapidly expanding city, the FCT is particularly susceptible to outbreaks, making it essential to implement effective prevention and containment measures.
Adam assured that the Secretariat is fully committed to allocating the necessary resources to avert a crisis.
He also called for cooperation among stakeholders to develop and implement sustainable strategies for cholera control.
In response, the FCT Public Health Department organized a Cholera Update meeting, bringing together key stakeholders to evaluate the situation.
The meeting focused on identifying high-risk areas and outlining each party’s role in managing the threat.
Acting Director of the FCT Public Health Department, Dan Gadzama, reported that the FCT had recently recorded 32 suspected cases, with 3 confirmed through laboratory tests and 8 confirmed via Rapid Diagnostic Tests.
This prompted the immediate activation of the Cholera EOC to prevent further spread.Gadzama highlighted that the FCT had already put several preventive measures in place before the first cases were confirmed.
These measures include identifying high-risk areas, launching public awareness campaigns, and training healthcare workers to respond effectively.
He also mentioned the formation of a Cholera Incident Management Team, composed of relevant stakeholders, to address the outbreak.
Gadzama further explained that cholera, caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae, is spread through contaminated food, water, and waste, making environmental control crucial to its management.
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) is playing an active role in these control efforts.
FCT State Epidemiologist, Lukman Ademola emphasized the link between cholera and poor access to clean water, inadequate sanitation, and insufficient food hygiene.
He called on the government, individuals, and communities to take an active part in prevention efforts.
With confirmed cases already recorded, the FCT Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (FCT-PHEOC) is now fully engaged, continuing its public awareness campaigns on cholera and other diseases such as Mpox, Ademola added.
