Kebbi Govt adopts proactive measures against communicable diseases

The Kebbi State Government says it has adopted measures to prevent the outbreak of communicable and airborne diseases.

Alhaji Kabiru Alhasan, the state Director of Public Health, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Monday that the measures included procurement of drugs and establishment of emergency respond teams.

He said the emergency respond teams would cover all the communicable and air borne diseases.

He explained that the teams, spread across health institutions, had been placed on high alert to tackle outbreak and spread of diseases, including meningitis, diarrhoea and cholera in the state.

According to him, enlightenment campaigns had been intensified to solicit support of the people to promptly report any outbreak of diseases.

He assured that the emergency proactive teams would be deployed to control the spread of such diseases.

“The people have been called upon to remain alert especially on reporting of suspected outbreaks and symptoms of communicable and airborne diseases.’’

He said the state government had procured drugs to be distributed freely as well as medical services to contain outbreak of diseases.

“The state provides free drugs for the treatment of any outbreak of diseases while the emergency respond teams had been set up in each local government area,’’ he said.

He added that the state government has constituted a committee to work on the prevention of malaria malaise in the state.

Also, the state Director of Health at the State Urban Development Authority, Alhaji Musa Dangana, called for public support in the fight against malaria and other related diseases.

Dangana advised residents to engage in self-help projects to complement government’s efforts in the fight against malaria, communicable and air borne diseases.

According to him, people should keep their environment clean because dirty environment with stagnant water attract mosquitoes that cause malaria.

“The kind of environment you live in can determine your likelihood of getting infected with malaria and the frequency with which you are infected with diseases,’’ he said.

He also urged people to desist from the habit of dropping waste into drains to avoid blockages during rainy season.

NAN recalls that many lives were lost to a new strain of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis in Zamfara and Sokoto states recently.

Consequently, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, last week directed the deployment of experts and vaccines to the affected states to contain the situation.