Ayuba Mafi
Bauchi State Government has announced the commencement of vaccination against cholera disease in some highly affected wards across the state.
The Executive Chairman of Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammad who made the announcement said that the state has received 1.5 million doses of the vaccine from the World Health Organisation WHO.
Dr. Mohammad while flagging off the Vaccination at the weekend said the state has continued to record cases of Cholera disease with thousands affected and some fatality rate.
“The disease that was first reported in may from Ningi has now spread to 19 out of the 20 Local Government Areas of the state exception of Bogoro”, Dr. Mohammed said.
He said that the Agency has intensified community vigilance, chlorination of wells, and disinfection of affected communities.
Dr. Rilwanu who said Bauchi is the only state that has received the vaccine explained that it is meant for 16 most affected wards of the Bauchi Local Government area, 2 wards in Toro, and 2 in Dass Local Government.
According to him, the vaccine has been split into the first and second doses with two weeks intervals and will take place in Health Facilities and the palace of ward heads in the affected areas.
Dr. Rilwanu who added that the vaccination will run for 5 days, acknowledged the effort of Medicins sans Frontiers, Nigeria Red Cross, ActionAid, and Action Against Hunger towards the fight against the spread of the disease.
On his part, the representative of the World Health Organisation, Abba Goni Ngala advised parents to take their children for the vaccine, warning that Cholera is a very deadly disease and thus people should take advantage of the vaccine to protect themselves.
Also speaking, Chukwudi Nsude of Medicines Sans Frontiers, said that the vaccination must be accompanied by personal and environmental hygiene,
District Head of Bauchi Nuru Adamu Jumba, pledged the traditional institutions resolve to mobilize members of their communities to take the vaccine.
He noted that in as much as people will clean their environment, the agency in charge of evacuating refuse must do so on time to avoid the spread of diseases
