By Our Correspondent
International bodies, the World Health Organisation, WHO, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, and International Organisation for Migration, IOM, on Tuesday, held an emergency meeting over the cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
WHO’s Country Representative, Walter Mulombo, shared details of the meeting via his X account.
“Happening Now: @WHONigeria @UNICEF_Nigeria @IOM_Nigeria hold an emergency meeting on the emerging cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
“The three agencies are discussing joint @UN_Nigeria support @NCDCgov @ProfAkinAbayomi,” Mulombo wrote.
As at Sunday, 15 people had died and over 60 hospitalised in Lagos, following reports of a severe outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by cholera.
The Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi said laboratory investigation confirmed the strain to be cholera sub-type O-1, adding that it is associated with more severe diseases.
Abayomi said the identified strain is “highly aggressive and contagious with potential for widespread dissemination.”
He said through community-based case finding and contact tracing, government observed that the number of cases “has peaked and is now significantly declining”.
On Monday, UNICEF had called for extensive measures to protect schoolchildren against the outbreak.
The Head, Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere said cholera “critically affects” children and called for efforts to prevent disruption in the academic calendar over the spread of the disease.
