Cholera Outbreak Hits Kirikiri Prison

The Lagos State government said on Sunday, June 30, that 25 instances of acute gastroenteritis at Kirikiri Medium Security Prison were caused by cholera.

While providing a report on the cholera outbreak in the state, Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi stated that immediate medical and environmental intervention measures had been successfully implemented.

“We were able to supply Kiriki­ri medium prison with intrave­nous fluids, infection prevention and other health consumables.

“Additionally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals which have been delivered to the prison to support prison health facilities with prevention strat­egies for about 3,200 inmates if required.

“Immediate water and sanita­tion issues have been corrected and there is ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the state,” the commissioner said.

Addressing the root of the original outbreak two weeks ago, Abayomi stated that it was caused by uncontrolled street beverages and contaminated water supplies.

He explained that many of the samples collected from popular street beverages purchased by undercover environmental officers from the Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) and the Ministry of Health in the affected areas tested positive for vibrio cholera bacteria, the cause of cholera.

“All of containers had no NAF­DAC accreditation numbers, in­dicating they are small cottage backyard informal production units. Identifying the precise lo­cation of manufacture has prov­en difficult and the directorate of environmental health is plan­ning to seal any such unregulated manufacture and make arrests of anybody involved with manufac­ture or distribution of beverages without NAFDAC numbers,” Abayomi said.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli