16 DIED , 172 HOSPITALIZED AS CHOLERA HITS MAIDUGURI IDPS CAMP

MAIDUGURI—Cholera outbreak in three Internally
Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps within Maiduguri,
Borno State, have left 16 people dead and 172 in
critical conditions, with World Health
Organization, WHO, and UNICEF battling the
epidemic.
Children collect stagnant water for use at home
in Harare Photo: AP
However, Information Officer of National
Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mallam
Abdulkadir Ibrahim, in a telephone interview, said
it was not an outbreak of cholera, but reported
cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.
NEMA is the sole agency in charge of feeding
the IDPs since inauguration of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
The affected camps are those housing IDPs from
Mafa along Dikwa/Ngala Road.
Health officials at the camp told news men that
so far, 16 people had died of the outbreak, while
172 were in serious condition as they work with
international organization to bring the situation
under control.
One of the health officials working with UNICEF
told news men, yesterday: “The situation at the
camps is terrible. It was sudden and already a
large number has been affected.
“At the last count, we have 16 dead and about
172 affected. We are in an emergency health
situation in those camps.”
Damage control
It was also gathered that the affected IDPs were
prevented from leaving the camp by security
agents in a move to prevent spread of the
disease into the metropolis until the situation is
brought under control.
Also, those affected have been separated from
the unaffected, and all the IDPs are being
treated with preventive medicine.
Another medical official said: “The camps were
unkept, unclean and with all sort of waste all
over which informed the outbreak and
encouraged its wild-fire spread.
“We are doing everything possible to ensure that
we control the spread. We encourage the IDPs
to ensure cleanliness. Source vanguard