The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), through its Public Health Department (PHD), has launched the Cholera Emergency Operations Centre as part of its surveillance and preparedness efforts to address any potential cholera outbreak in the FCT.
During the activation of the centre over the weekend, Gana Adam, the Permanent Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat, emphasized that the move was prompted by the increasing number of cholera cases reported across the 36 states.
Adam highlighted that, as a rapidly developing city, the FCT is vulnerable to cholera outbreaks and is taking proactive measures to prevent and control the spread of the disease. He assured that the Secretariat would deploy all necessary resources to avert a cholera outbreak in the FCT.
He further directed the involvement of relevant stakeholders to devise effective and reliable strategies to prevent the disease.
As of October 13, 2024, a total of 14,237 cholera cases have been reported across the states and the FCT, affecting 339 local government areas. Tragically, 378 lives have been lost, resulting in a case fatality rate of approximately 2.7 percent.