The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has linked the recent cholera outbreak in the country to poor sanitation and a shortage of resources.
There has been a spike in cholera cases in recent weeks in the country with Lagos State confirming 15 casualties.
While speaking about the NCDC’s response to the disease, the agency’s Director General Jide Idris blamed hygiene issues as part of the reasons for the cholera outbreak.
READ ALSO: Cholera Kills 15 In Lagos, 350 Suspected Cases Recorded
“If you go back to this cholera case, to me, it’s a problem of poor sanitation, both personal and environmental; it’s a problem of lack of access to water. The easiest way for good personal hygiene is hand-washing, especially after using the toilet, and before you cook your food,” he said on Channels Television’s Sunrise show on Saturday.
“But in a situation where you tell people to do hand-washing and there’s no access to water, it’s a problem. So, I think everybody, including the Federal Government, the state government, different agencies, local governments, even the people themselves, the community, have to come around.”
The NCDC boss called on governments to provide access to clean water and toilets as part of measures to prevent the outbreak of the disease.
Below is his full interview on the programme:
