Janet Ogundepo
The Consumer Advocacy for Food Safety and Nutrition Initiative has developed a consumer pocket guide for food safety and nutrition.
In a statement signed by CAFSANI president, Prof Olugbenga Ogunmoyela and made available to PUNCH Healthwise, it was indicated that the pocket guide, currently in English, will soon be translated into major Nigerian languages.
Speaking on the recent outbreak of cholera in the country, the don decried the focus on treatment of patients rather than preventive measures, which he stressed will prevent environmental contamination of food and water.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The common indications are vomiting and stooling.
Cholera can cause severe diarrhoea, and different levels of dehydration, and can kill within hours if left untreated.
Apart from diarrhoea and dehydration, other symptoms include nausea/vomiting, low blood pressure, rapid weight loss, and muscle cramps.
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, every year, an estimated 1.3 to 4 million people worldwide get cholera, and between 21,000 to 143,000 people die,
In a statement signed by the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr Jide Idris, it was noted that 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera with 30 deaths were recorded from 96 LGAs in 30 states from January 1 to June 11, 2024.
According to him, the 10 states that have contributed 90 per cent to the burden of cholera include; Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos States.
Speaking on how cholera is contracted and the factors responsible, Ogunmoyela said people living in places with unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation, and inadequate hygiene are at the highest risk as it spreads through direct transmission by eating or drinking contaminated food or water.
Speaking on the preventive measures, the food scientist said, “Overall, cholera can be prevented through ensuring access to safe, potable drinking water; proper sanitation and waste disposal; and appropriate hygiene including handwashing.
“To reduce the risk of cholera, the NCDC has advised the public to ‘ensure that water is boiled and stored in a clean and covered container before drinking, practice good personal hand hygiene by washing your hands frequently with soap under clean running water.
“Use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers is essential if soap and clean water are not available. In addition, we must ensure that food is well-cooked before consumption. Given their low level of awareness, it is often alarming that raw foods such as fruits and vegetables are washed in stagnant waters. Therefore, the consumer must be informed to take such foods only after soaking and washing thoroughly with safe potable water.”
He cautioned against open defecation and indiscriminate refuse disposal, urging residents to ensure proper disposal and frequent evacuation of sewage.
The don also advised health workers to adhere to the NCDC’s guidelines by always practising standard safety precautions, which include wearing gloves while handling patients or providing care to an ill patient and relatives.
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