No fewer than three additional cholera patients have been pronounced dead by medical experts in Lagos, increasing the disease outbreak in the state to 24 from 21 earlier reported by The Guild.
Aside from that, a total of 417 suspected cases have been recorded only 35 cases have been confirmed so far across the 20 local government council areas in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this on Friday in a terse statement released on his official social media handle, cautioning Lagosians on strict adherence to the hygiene measures recommended.
This came barely 24 hours after the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Health, Kemi Ogunyemi, said that the number of recorded fatalities rose to 21 from 15 while reported cases jumped to 350.
According to her, Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recorded the highest numbers.
Ogunyemi, while providing an update on the outbreak after meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) attributed the rise in cases to the Ileya festivities during which large gatherings occurred.
She, however, noted that suspected cases were subsiding across LGAs particularly in previously affected LGAs due to state government interventions and surveillance efforts.
The special adviser stated that the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, was maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned programs and activities to curb the spread.
“The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Environment and its agency, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), continues to collect samples of water sources, food, and beverages to identify the source of contamination. We have also intensified our surveillance activities in communities, particularly in affected local government areas, to address the situation head-on.
“We are also working with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as the Ministry of Tertiary Education to ensure all precautions are taken in our schools to protect children and scholars as they return. Residents must, however, remain vigilant, practice good hand hygiene, and participate in community sanitation activities to stop the spread of cholera,” the Special Adviser stated.
She advised that citizens seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free of charge at all public health facilities.
While noting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains committed to ensuring that residents of Lagos receive quality and affordable health care, the special adviser extended the gratitude of the state government to local, national, and international partners—including UNICEF, WHO, NCDC, NIMR, Red Cross, and others —for their support in combating the outbreak.
“Appreciation is also extended to the dedicated team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, environmental health officers, Water Corporation officers, surveillance officers, heads of agencies, members of PHEOC, and volunteers who are working around the clock to combat the disease and keep Lagos safe,” Ogunyemi said.
