File picture of cholera patients
Ifedayo Adetifa, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), says the agency will approach political actors to become champions of cholera in the country.
Adetifa spoke on Tuesday at a cholera plan review workshop organised in collaboration with other ministries, agencies, and partners.
The national strategic plan of action for cholera control was developed in June 2022 and further revised in March 2023.
Adetifa described the situation of cholera in Nigeria as “mind-boggling and frustrating”.
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He said NCDC would work with partners to change the narrative about cholera in Nigeria.
The director-general added that the workshop was organised to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to review and agree on the outcomes of previous meetings in which milestones to measure progress, performance, and gaps, were discussed concerning cholera control.
“I don’t want Nigeria to be in the league of countries that record the highest number of cholera cases in 2023 or in five years going forward,” he said.
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Adetifa said cholera is not just a health issue because it cuts across several sectors, including the ministry of environment, ministry of water resources and security.
“So even when national or federal ministries set agendas or guidelines which need to be implemented at the sub-national level, what we want to do from a political perspective, is to find a champion for cholera control in the country,” he said.
“We need someone with power who will speak to political actors to commit to cholera control.
“We have two targets — the new first lady or the vice president. We will approach them to see who we can sell the idea to. We believe the first lady will be happy to jump on board.
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“We’ll also work more closely with the Nigerian governors’ forum and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to deal with the situation in individual states.”
According to the NCDC’s data, as of April 30, there have been over 1,600 suspected cholera cases in Nigeria and 48 deaths.
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