By Chioma Umeha
The United Nations (UN) has sent an SOS, saying
it needs $9.9 million (around N3.5 billion) to respond to the current cholera outbreak in
Borno State and prevent further outbreaks in high-risk areas.
The amount is roughly same as the federal
government released to fund a nationwide measles vaccination slated to start
October 26.
The
UN response-and-prevention plan is to address immediate needs for 3.7 million
people who could be affected by the outbreak.
Despite
extensive efforts to improve sanitation conditions in camps and raise awareness
on the importance of best hygiene practices, the first cholera cases were
identified in Borno State on August 16. To date, the outbreak has claimed at
least 44 lives, out of close to 2,300 confirmed and/or suspected cases.
Humanitarian partners have been working around the clock in support of the Borno State Ministry of Health to
contain the outbreak and implement preventive measures in the most at-risk
locations.
Four specialized treatment centres (for the most severe cases) and
seven oral rehydration points (for the milder cases) have been set up in all
three affected areas. Teams of community mobilizers and chlorine sprayers have
been going from shelter to shelter, informing families of the risk of infection
and how to get treatment should symptoms arise.
“The clock is ticking. The camps for displaced
persons are congested; there is not enough water, sanitation facilities are
poor, and the health care system is weak. We must tackle this urgently to avoid
preventable suffering and loss of life,” said Peter Lundberg, the Deputy
Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria.
The Cholera Response and Prevention Plan have
laid out the strategy to address the outbreak from all angles over the next few
months.
These include, treating identified cases,
monitoring and tracking of new potential cases, improving sanitation
conditions, ensuring affected people have access to clean water, informing
communities and carrying out vaccination campaigns and other life-saving
interventions.
“We need a holistic and comprehensive response
to this outbreak and a clear prevention strategy,” Mr. Lundberg added.
“The implications of not responding in a timely
manner could be absolutely devastating for millions of conflict-affected women,
children and men who are already living in very dire conditions.”
The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s north-east
is one of the most severe in the world today, with 8.5 million people in need
of life-saving aid in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states, out of whom 6.9 million
are targeted for humanitarian assistance.
