How to Prevent Feces Disease Called Cholera

Cholera is a fatal disease which can kill with in several hours if left untreated.  It is an acute diarrhea illness caused by infection of the intestine with the bacteria Vibrio cholerae. The Vibrio Cholerae can be found in contaminated food or water, especially in areas of poor sanitation and water treatment.
The Vibrio. Cholerae bacterium accumulates in a person’s stomach and produces toxins, which affect the cells of the gastrointestinal tract, causing the person to lose large quantities of fluid (up to one litre per hour). Cholera is also a fecal disease which spreads when the feces of an infected person come into contact with food or water.
Cholera has however claimed life of many, some reported, many not reported due to poor data management in the country while many do not even get to the hospital. The most recent of it, is the case of 45 people in Lagos who landed in hospital having contacted cholera as a result of vended Abacha they consumed with six of them not able to survive the illness.
Cholera disease is not new in Nigeria, Leckebusch and Abdussalam, in their research published in Health and Peace Journal disclosed that “in Nigeria, cholera is one of the primary causes of morbidity and mortality, within cadence occurring in both small outbreaks and large epidemics”. Meanwhile, the spread of cholera in Nigeria is not unconnected to the lake of adequate access to safe drinking water, poor personal hygiene and unhygienic environment.
The provision of safe drinking water remains a serious issue of concern and this necessitate people even in cities to buy street vended water which might be prone to contaminantion.  A report presented by Water Aid Nigeria recently reported that 57.7 million Nigerians lack access to safe drinking water and Nigeria was placed third among top 10 nations with the greatest number of people living without access to safe drinking water.
It is even important to note that for those who subscribe to government pipe borne water, most of the pipes lack proper maintenance, most of them are channeled through waste water drainages. Thus, when the pipe gets to burst or leak, there will be an influx of the filthy fluid from the drainage to government water pipe.
It is also disheartening that the drainage which is mean to serve as waste water channel is turned into a refuse dump. Some even defecate in the drainages, thus causing health hazard in the society.  According to United Nation Children’s Fund (WHO and UNICEF, 2012) report, over 34 million Nigeria are defecating outside. In areas like this, after a heavy downpour, surface outwash, collapsed sewages, and open drainage may lead to contamination of sources of drinking water like wells and rivers. This therefore aids the transmission of the cholera via contaminated food, water and some micro organism to the society.
Personal hygiene, especially hand washing is also another habit that eroded with the declaration of the country as an Ebola Free Nation. During Ebola crisis every facet of the nation became rigid to hand washing. Looking around now one might hardly find a school, restaurant or even hospitals having hand washing facilities at her entrance as it was previously practiced during the Ebola Era.  It is important to note that hand washing is quintessential  to good health especially after using the toilet in order to combat cholera and many other illness.
However, cholera as deadly as it can be, is also susceptible to ORS and Zinc tablet when administered as first aid. It is important that parent adds this to their first aid box so that they can administer when children develops diarrhea.
It is also important that the Government of Nigeria, responds adequately to the right of every Nigeria to have access to safe drinking water. Water pipes should also be properly monitored and maintained to prevent contamination.
At individual level proper hand washing with soap and water should be practice after using the toilet, before preparation of meal and even before eating. Children should also be properly monitored from taking food from food vendors.