Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri
The Borno State Government thursday disclosed that the recent cholera outbreak that ravaged some of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps in the state claimed 61 lives.
Briefing journalists in Maiduguri, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Mshelia, who claimed that the outbreak has now completely wiped out, said 500 cases were recorded in the outbreak that shook the state in August.
Mshelia, who was represented at the press briefing by Director, Emergency Medical Response and Humanitarian Services Centre in the state Ministry of Health, Dr. Muhammad Ghuluze, said six of the 27 local government areas of the state had cases of cholera in the outbreak.
He explained that the state was able to effectively combat the outbreak with assistance from World Health Organisation, (WHO) and other health actors.
“With support of WHO and other health actors, we moved to quick action to control the outbreak with that strongest resolve to limit mortality and morbidity. This was achieved and we can say that we have succeeded as today we are more than two weeks with out case reported and this signifies that we have come to the end of this outbreak,†he said.
“Given the weakened health system resulting from long years of insurgency and high population density in the IDP camps, made it paramount for immediate and coordinated response to avoid pit falls experienced by other nations with similar challenges,†he further added.
According to Mshelia, the state would now be far prepared and equipped to prevent and respond even better in the event of another outbreak.
