As of September 2024, Oyo State had registered 201 suspected cases of cholera, with one confirmed death, as reported by Mrs. Titilope Akinleye, the state’s Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer.
During a cholera emergency meeting at the Oyo Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, she disclosed these numbers.
In attendance were representatives from WHO, UNICEF, the Red Cross, IVN, and the Ministries of Environment, Health, Education, and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASA).
Akinleye reported that during the last week of September in 2024, or the 39th week, 79 suspected cases of cholera were reported, five of which were confirmed cases, and one of those cases resulted in a fatality in Ibadan North.
At Ido (87), Akinyele (38), Ibadan South West (15), and Ibadan North West (14), there are the highest number of suspected cases among local government areas.
She said that the majority of confirmed cases were from Ibadan South West, then Ido, and that most of the victims were under 40.
According to Mrs. Akinleye, there has been a cooperative effort with RUWASA and the Ministry of Environment since the cholera outbreak response was initiated.
These initiatives involve the dissemination of infection prevention and control materials, contact tracking, public education, and active case searches.
The Infectious Disease Centre in Olodo handled 76 suspected cholera patients; 62 of them were discharged, and there were no deaths reported, according to Oyo State Epidemiologist Dr. Abibat Kareem.
In the meantime, Oyo State’s Director of Primary Health, Dr. Akintunde Babatunde, underlined the importance of public education in effectively stopping the disease’s spread as well as the impact that inadequate cleanliness had in the epidemic.
By giving out drinkable water, chlorinating wells, and giving out oral rehydration therapy, the spread of cholera was stopped in Akinyele Local Government.
Dr. Babatunde advised the populace to maintain good hygiene by drinking clean water, avoiding food that has been prepared in an unclean manner, and washing their hands frequently.
The Oyo State government continues to monitor the situation closely, aiming to reduce the transmission and impact of cholera across affected areas.
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