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Tag: cholera

  • NAFDAC alerts public on fake cholera vaccine

    NAFDAC alerts public on fake cholera vaccine

    The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has alerted the public, especially healthcare providers, on the existence of fake Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccine circulating in Bangladesh.

    According to a statement by Prof. Moji Adeyeye, the Director-General of NAFDAC, the packaging of the falsified Dukoral vaccine displays texts in English and French language.

    Adeyeye said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had quarantined some quantities of the falsified vaccine.

    “We are raising this alert to health care providers and the society at large about the existence of falsified Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccine circulating in Bangladesh.

    “The WHO Country Office and Health Authorities in Bangladesh have quarantined the 8,000 falsified packs of Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccine so far identified.

    “The details of the falsified Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccines identified in Bangladesh are as follows –
    Product Name Dukoral Oral Cholera Vaccine/ Vaccin Oral contre le Cholera
    Batch Number KV8262B1
    Expiry Date 2020-04
    Stated Manufacturer Valneva Canada Inc.

    “Note that the logo of the manufacturer Crucell is also displayed,” she said.

    The NAFDAC boss clarified that the manufacturer of genuine Dukoral Oral Cholera Vaccine was Valneva Sweden AB, formerly Crucell Sweden AB.

    “Valneva Sweden AB, the manufacturer of genuine Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccine stated that the combination of the manufacturers, Valneva Canada Inc and Crucell should not exist on any packaging of the vaccine in the market.

    “Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccine manufactured by Valneva Canada Inc is not registered by NAFDAC.

    “All importers, wholesalers and retailers are implored to desist from illegal importation, distribution and sale of the falsified vaccine,” Adeyeye warned.

    She added that surveillance had been strengthened by NAFDAC at all ports of entry to prevent illegal importation of the falsified Dukoral Oral Cholera vaccine from Bangladesh.

    “NAFDAC has also heightened surveillance to prevent distribution and sale of the falsified vaccine.

    “Health care providers and other members of the public are advised to be vigilant and contact the nearest NAFDAC office with any information on the falsified Dukoral vaccine.

    “Anybody in possession of the falsified vaccine should submit it to the nearest NAFDAC office,” she advised.

    Adeyeye further urged consumers to report any adverse event related to the use of vaccines to the nearest NAFDAC office via – NAFDAC PRASCOR 20543 (toll free from all Network ) or via pharmacovigilance@nafdac.gov.ng

  • Cholera outbreak: 175 dead, over 10,000 afflicted, disease spreading quickly

    The number of people who have been affected by cholera in northeast Nigeria has increased to 10,000, with the disease said to be spreading at an alarming rate in congested displacement camps with limited access to proper sanitation facilities.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) gave the numbers and sounded the warning in a statement on Monday, while calling on the government to address the menace.

    “One of the major causes of the outbreak is the congestion in the camps that makes it difficult to provide adequate water, sanitation and hygiene services. The rainy season also worsened the conditions,” said Janet Cherono, NRC’s program manager in Maiduguri.

    NRC is calling on the local governments in Nigeria’s northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe to end the cycle of yearly cholera outbreaks.

    “If more land is not urgently provided for camp decongestion and construction of health and sanitation facilities, Nigeria is steering towards yet another cholera outbreak in 2019,” warned Cherono.

    Over the last decade, northeast Nigeria and other areas of the Lake Chad Basin have been affected by cholera outbreaks almost every year, due to poor hygiene facilities in displacement camps and host communities. More than 1.8 million people are displaced in Nigeria, as a result of ongoing conflicts.

    Maiduguri has the highest concentration of displaced people, with 243,000 displaced people cramped in camps, camp-like settlements and already crowded host communities, according to figures from the International Organization for Migration.

    In Kagoni Sangaya displacement camp, the eight latrines that were built to cater for about 150 displaced people are now being shared by 500 people. Camp residents said they end up defecating in the open which causes cholera and other water borne diseases in the area.

    More than 10,000 people have been afflicted by the ongoing cholera outbreak in Nigeria, according to the government. Of these, 175 were reported dead in the states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe as of early November 2018.

    The number of deaths resulting from the disease is higher than would be expected in a situation where timely and efficient treatment is available. This indicates inexistent or insufficient access to clean water, sanitation, hygiene and health services.

    “We are calling on the authorities to provide more space in camps and host communities for the construction of new water and sanitation facilities, and for the international community to provide the necessary funding. Only this way can we prevent new cholera outbreaks,” Cherono said.

    NRC has responded to the cholera outbreak by transporting at least 180,000 liters of clean water daily from Maiduguri to communities around Tungushe and Konduga towns, constructing more latrines where there are space and by sharing information about hygiene and choleraprevention with affected communities.

     

  • Five dead as fresh cholera outbreak hits Gombe

    Gombe State Government on Thursday said a fresh outbreak of cholera had killed five people, while 16 others were hospitalised at the Primary Health Centre, Kembu in Balanga Local Government Area of the state.

    The state Acting Epidemiologist, Dr Nuhu Bile, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe.

    Bile said that the cholera outbreak occurred in October.

    He said that the State Rapid Response team alongside World Health Organisation had visited the scene immediately it received news of the incident.

    According to him, 70 patients were treated and discharged, while the five people died before medical help could reach them.

    He added that 16 others were being treated at the health centre for the disease.

    Bile said the recent deaths had brought the number of cholera mortality to 13, while no fewer than 500 patients had been treated and discharged in the last five months.

    The epidemiologist attributed the cause of the outbreak to the damaged five hand pumps in the community which forced people to seek unsafe alternative source of water.

    He named some of the recently affected local governments to include Yamaltu-Deba, Funakaye Gombe with the most recent being Balanga.

     

  • Cholera: NGO urges FG to treat water sources in affected communities

    Zenith Water Project has urged the Federal Government to ensure the treatment of water sources in communities affected by cholera outbreaks to improve water quality and curb spread of the disease.
     
    Mr Nicholas Igwe, the Managing Director of the non-governmental organisation, made the call on Wednesday in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
     
    He stressed that the government should strive to curb the spread of cholera by treating the communities’ water sources, while preventing new outbreaks of the disease.
     
    He, however, noted that the provision of water was not enough in efforts to eradicate cholera, adding that the focus of water supply programmes should also be on ensuring water quality and providing water treatment plants.
     
    “We lack quality water, this challenge is the same everywhere; so, we have to ensure that we provide adequate water treatment systems.
     
    “We, as an NGO, often examine the water quality of an area and then, we provide water systems that will deal with the water challenges facing that particular the area,’’ he said.
     
    Igwe described the whole idea of spending a lot of money on the management of cholera outbreaks, while the residents of affected communities still patronised the same water sources, as worrisome.
     
    He underscored the need to sensitise the people to the dangers of drinking unsafe water, saying that the government should also ensure the provision of quality water for the citizens.
     
    “It is only clean and quality water that sustains life; the fact that some water is clear does not necessarily mean that the water is clean,’’ he said.
     
    The managing director said that one of the primary roles of Zenith Water Project was to execute sustainable water projects aimed at treating the water sources of the rural areas affected by cholera outbreaks.
     
    He added that the NGO would also ensure the provision of safe water in the neighbourhoods, while educating the residents on the health implications of drinking unclean water.
     
    “Although Zenith Water Project is a private sector company, the group has been working with the government and other agencies in promoting water quality across the country,’’ he said.
     
    Igwe noted that his organisation, a member of the Sanitation Water for All (SWA), had been working with other stakeholders under the auspices of UNICEF, to achieve a synergy among all partners involved in water and sanitation programmes.
     
    “The purpose of Zenith Water Project working together with other stakeholders is to tackle the challenges that may crop up from the people’s lack of access to water and sanitation facilities,’’ he said.
     
    Igwe urged other private sector organisations to work closely with the three tiers of government in efforts to sensitise Nigerians to the importance of good sanitation.
     
    He noted that water-borne diseases and infections associated with poor sanitation were the leading causes of death the world over.
     
    He added that these infections had larger consequences on the socio-economic growth of countries.
     
    “It is important for the private sector organisations to begin to work closely with the various levels of government to ensure attainment of Goal Six of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),’’ he said.
     
    NAN reports that Goal Six of the SDGs calls for the provision of clean water and sanitation for all people. (NAN)

  • Cholera Outbreak: WHO deploys 39 staff to Adamawa

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has deployed 39 staff to contain the outbreak of cholera in Mubi North and Mubi South South Local Government Areas of Adamawa.

    A statement from Chima Onuekwe, the Health Emergencies Communication Officer of WHO, made available to newsmen in Yola on Tuesday, said there were plans to engage additional 15 ad-hoc personnel to boost the medical efforts.

    The statement which noted that 434 suspected cases had been recorded with 13 deaths as at May 26, described the development as worrisome.

    It said that WHO was coordinating the response activities, including active surveillance within communities and health facilities, management of reported cases as well as daily review meeting at the Emergency Operations Centre, to ensure timely control of the outbreak.

    Meanwhile, the Adamawa Commissioner for Health, Dr Fatima Atiku, said that the state was collaborating with WHO and other partners to ensure that the outbreak was contained.

    Atiku said that the efforts were yielding results as indicated in the decline in the trend of case fatality ratio, which was 17 per cent as at May 12, but reduced to 3 per cent.

    NAN

  • 13 die of Cholera in Yobe

    A cholera outbreak in Gashua, Yobe State has claimed 13 lives out of 160 cases reported in the last six days, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    A source at the Gashua General Hospital told NAN that five deaths were first recorded while eight lives were later lost to the disease.

    The source said that the victims were brought in from Sabon Gari, Katuzu, Zango, Lawan Musa and Sarkin Hausawa, which were among the areas worst affected by the outbreak.

    Meanwhile, the state government has despatched a Rapid Response Team to contain the outbreak and spread of the disease.

    Mohammed Bukar, the General Manager, Yobe Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), confirmed that the response team has embarked on chlorinating water reservoirs and disinfecting toilet facilities in the area.

    He said aqua tablets were also distributed to households while promotion of personal hygiene had been intensified to curtail spread of the disease.

    Mr Bukar attributed the outbreak to poor hygiene, adding “we collected water samples from various sources, and using the bacteriological test kit, we discovered some private boreholes with contaminated water.”

    He said shallow boreholes managed by private individuals are prone to contamination.

    “There is the need to pass the water law in good time to check the excesses of some private boreholes who abuse due process and put the lives of the people at risk,” the general manager said.

    According to Mr Bukar, water samples from five boreholes in Gashua which tested positive have been shut down while more samples have been taken for advance laboratory analysis.

    He said communities in neighbouring Karasuwa and Yusufari Local Government Areas have been disinfected and provided with aqua tablets to check possible spread.

    Similarly, the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, has provided fluids and drugs to the Gashua general hospital for treatment of victims at the hospital.

    Habu Kaku, aide to the leader of the Senate, told NAN that the donation of the drugs and fluids was to complement government efforts in the treatment of the victims.

    “This is a first phase intervention to arrest the unexpected outbreak and to compliment the efforts of the state government in curtailing the menace,” Mr Kaku said.

  • Cholera, Lassa fever kill 14 in Bauchi — Commissioner

    Bauchi State Commissioner for Health, Zuwaira Hassan, on Friday, confirmed that 14 people died in the state following outbreak of cholera and Lassa fever.

    Hassan made this known while briefing newsmen at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBU- TH) Bauchi during her visit to the cholera quarantine ward.

    According to her, nine people died as a result of cholera outbreak, while Lassa fever claimed five lives.

    She said “since the outbreak of these epidemics, we have had a total of 324 cases of cholera and recorded nine deaths.

    “Right now, the cholera isolation centre is active and we have about 26 patients on admission who are being treated.”

    On Lassa fever, Hassan said there were 44 suspected cases, nine confirmed cases, while five persons had been confirmed dead so far.

    She stressed the need for proper hygiene and urged residents to avoid open defecation, saying faeces in open places could pass and mix with drinking water which was dangerous to health.

    She said community volunteers were out on sensitisation to educate the people on hygiene and environmental sanitation, while the state Ministry of Health chlorinated water and decontaminated the environment.

    According to the commissioner, five local governments affected by the cholera outbreak are Bauchi, Toro, Darazo, Tafawa Balewa and Ganjuwa.

    She urged the people to come to treatment centres as soon as they started having symptoms of cholera as the treatment was free.

    She commended Federal Government for quick intervention to support Bauchi State Government in tackling the outbreak.

  • Zambia seeks more money to contain cholera outbreak

    The Zambian Government said that it needs more money to contain a cholera outbreak which started in October 2017.

    While appreciating partners and companies for coming on board to help tackle the epidemic, an official statement said more funds and material resources were required.

    The government has so far released 64 million Zambian kwacha (6.5 million U.S. dollars) while donations from development partners were still being collected.

    The government said all the funds will be audited.

    At its height, the outbreak saw more than 100 cases per day, which had come down to around 15, according to official figures.

    The outbreak in seven of the country’s 10 provinces has resulted in 85 deaths.

    Lusaka, the capital, accounted for 96.1 per cent of the cases, with 4,080 infections and 75 deaths.

    NAN reports that the Chinese government in January donated about two million yuan (314,000 U.S. dollars) to help Zambia tackle a cholera outbreak.

    Apart from the donation from the government, the Chinese embassy also donated a further 50,000 Zambian Kwacha (about 5,000 U.S. dollars) towards the fight against cholera.

    Chinese enterprises also provided over one million Kwacha (about 100,000 U.S. dollars) in cash donation.

     

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  • Cholera outbreak: Zambia government imposes curfew in Lusaka

    The Zambian Government has declared a curfew in a poor Lusaka township badly affected by a cholera outbreak that has killed 58 people across the country since September.

    Health Minister Chitalu Chilufya told reporters that the curfew in Kanyama, a densely populated slum of iron-roofed shacks and winding dirt tracks, begins on Sunday and will run from between 1800 and 0600.

    The township has a population of 370,000 people.

    Street vending and public gatherings have been banned in Lusaka to prevent the spread of cholera but the residents of Kanyama have been defying this order in the evenings after soldiers deployed to clean the streets have left.

    “Kanyama has recorded the highest number of fatalities because of the poor compliance with interventions that have been put in place,” Chilufya said.

    The cholera outbreak was initially linked to contaminated water from shallow wells, but investigations indicated that contaminated food was the main culprit.

    Zambia on Thursday shut three of South African retailer Shoprite’s Hungry Lion fast-food restaurants after their food tested positive for the bacterium that causes cholera.

    Hungry Lion said on Saturday that the restaurants had been closed for disinfection and it hoped that the government would soon allow them to reopen.

    President Edgar Lungu on Dec. 30 directed the military to help to fight the spread of the waterborne disease.

    Cholera causes acute watery diarrhea.

    It can be treated with oral hydration solutions and antibiotics but spreads rapidly and can kill within hours if not treated.

     

  • Borno state free of cholera outbreak – Commissioner

    The Borno Government on Thursday declared that the state is cholera free sequel to the successful control of an outbreak of the disease.

    The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Haruna Mshelia, made this known at a news conference in Maiduguri.
    He said the state government in collaboration with World Health Organisation (WHO) and development partners had effectively controlled the cholera outbreak which was first recorded on Aug. 16.

    “Today, we are more than two weeks without any case reported and this signifies that we have come to the end of this outbreak,’’ Mshelia, who was represented by Dr Muhammad Ghuluze, said.

    “The preparedness of the health cluster to respond to cholera outbreak; effective partner coordination, and swift activation of the emergency operation centre, efficient case management and surveillance were the strong points that helped disrupt transmission and reduce mortality by about one per cent,” he said.

    Mshelia disclosed further that over 5,000 cases of the disease were recorded with 61 deaths in the six affected local government areas of the state.

    He listed the affected areas as Jere, Maiduguri, Dikwa, Monguno, Mafa and Guzamala.
    The commissioner attributed the outbreak to the weakening health system due to Boko Haram insurgency and over population at Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.

    According to him, the state government has inoculated 950,000 persons against the disease as part of effort to prevent future outbreak.

    Mshelia reiterated the state government commitments to enhance quality healthcare delivery in the state.
    He commended WHO and other organisations for their contributions to the improvement of healthcare services in the state.