Our reporter
Medical experts have underscored the importance of adopting precautionary measures as the 37 permanent camps of the National Youth Service Corps open across the country to thousands of prospective corps members for their three-week-long orientation exercise from June 26, 2024.
According to them, poor sanitary conditions, lack of access to clean water, and cleaning supplies can predispose them to a cholera outbreak.
The experts say such camps sometimes suffer from sanitation and hygiene issues, consequently, illnesses and diseases can easily spread.
A professor of Public Health at the University of Ilorin and Consultant Public Health physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Kwara State, Kayode Osagbemi, urged the NYSC authorities to ensure the camps are clean and suitable for stay before prospective corps members resume.
He said this is the best time to provide a clean water supply and environmental sanitation to prevent the outbreak of cholera or other diseases.
Osagbemi stated, “We don’t need to wait until they start having the infection before we start treating because prevention is easier, better, and cheaper than treatment. We would not recommend that people should not go to camps because of cholera, the important thing is to observe the preventive measures.
“There are some camps that have pipe-borne water and boreholes with safe and clean water, but there are some that water tankers supply them water, so much water should be treated before being dispatched to the camps.
“The corps members should also obey the rules of personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, and regular washing of hands. If they can abide by that, there’s no risk or there’s no reason to stop them from going to the camps.
“Just like as the schools are resuming after the break, the same principles apply to them, even the universities. Anywhere you have a huge gathering of people, you need to observe strict hygiene.”
The public health expert stressed the need for concerted efforts by the Federal Government, state governments, relevant agencies, and partners to ensure safe camping for every corps member.
Also, a Public Health Policy and Management Specialist, Dr Laz Eze, described cholera as a deadly but preventable bacterial infectious disease.
Eze, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of TalkHealth9ja, stated, “Poor environmental hygiene, unsafe drinking water, unclean toilets, open defecation, and poor hand hygiene are risk factors for contracting and spreading cholera.
“To prevent cholera, there has to be proper education for the inhabitants of the NYSC camps on water hygiene, environmental sanitation, and hand hygiene. Safe drinking water, clean toilets, and proper waste disposal should be made available.
“Foods should be cooked properly, plates washed with safe clean water, toilets cleaned up regularly and corps members should wash their hands regularly with soap and running water.”
Speaking also, the Team Leader/Chief Executive at Q-Impact Medicare, Dr Lekan Adelakun, said officials of the NYSC must ensure corps members are safe in the camps.
“They must ensure that they are healthy, they live healthy, the environment is healthy, their kitchens are healthy, and the foods are well cooked. Environmental cleanliness has to be done, especially food hygiene. They have to educate the corps members on preventive measures and ensure that anybody with gastrointestinal symptoms should be taken to the hospital immediately,” Adelakun advised.
Efforts to reach the Director of Press and Public Relations of the NYSC, Eddy Megwa, to discuss preventive measures to mitigate the outbreak and spread of cholera at the camps proved abortive, despite several phone calls and WhatsApp messages from our correspondent.
Copyright PUNCH
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: health_wise@punchng.com
The post Experts emphasis cholera precautionary measures as NYSC camps open nationwide appeared first on Healthwise.