As the nation battle with the cholera epidemic, the Ogun State Local Government Service Commission has held a day programme with Environmental Health Officers and Technicians in Yewa and Egba Divisions in the Service on roles expected of them to play in order to stem the tide in the spread of the disease.
Addressing the participants at the event held in Abeokuta, the Chairman of the Commission, Ms. Olubukunola Onabanjo said there is an urgent need for collaboration amongst all stakeholders to emphasise the importance of sanitation and hygiene as a veritable tool for disease control and prevention.
The meeting which has its theme, “Promoting Sanitary and Environmental Health Safety in Ogun State”, she said ”it is apt and significant as our nation battles the incidence of cholera outbreak”.
In her words, “the disease has spread to 31 States of the federation. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight (528), confirmed cases out of which
Fifty-Three (53) mortalities were recorded in no fewer than One Hundred and Seventeen (117) Local Government Areas”.
According to her, “Ogun State is no exemption from the scourge of the outbreak as seven (7) local
governments have been hit by the disease. These include Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Remo North, Odeda, Sagamu, ljebu North, Ewekoro and Odogbolu Local Governments”.
“The Ministry of Health reported Twenty-Five (25) suspected cases out of which Nine (9) were confirmed, while the remaining Sixteen (16) suspected cases are under close monitoring”.
Onabanjo went further, stating that the Ogun State Government has taken proactive measures to curtail the spread of the disease in synergy with relevant stakeholders.
“The spread of the disease has been attributed to open defecation and drinking of contaminated water.
“Therefore, there is urgent need for collaboration amongst all stakeholders to emphasize the importance of sanitation and hygiene as a veritable tool for disease control and prevention”.
The Chairman charged the Environmental Health Officers and Technicians to effectively deploy their expertise to engage the communities, create awareness, organize
enlightenment campaigns on the benefits of ensuring a safe and healthy environment.
She went further, saying “promoting personal and communal hygienic help to minimize the incidence of spread of infectious diseases, as well as conserve the environment for sustainability, is a must for all. In your own little way too, you can complement governments’ efforts by gathering people in your neighborhood or locality, sensitizing and educating them on the causes of infectious diseases, treatment and preventive measures for safe and healthy living”.
She said the “Commission organized the training to address the concerns associated with poor sanitary and environmental health safety in our society, with a view to addressing the situation for a better and improved nation.
In her remarks,the Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Local Government Service Commission, Engr. Ogunbona Olanike Olawunmi, FNSE, stressed the importance of the training as it will help Environmental Health workers to improve on their work
While appreciating the Commission on behalf of the participants, Sanitarian Jelili Olatunji promised to improve in the discharge of his duties.
He appealed to the Commission to help equip all the Local Government Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Departments with modern facilities to work with and recruit more personnel in various offices across the twenty (20) Local Governments in Ogun State.
Like an “Oliver Twist”, he requested for more workshops on behalf of the cadre in order to gain more knowledge.
