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METRO FCTA urges pre-emptive measures against diphtheria
By Stanley Onyekwere
In what swift proactive steps to curtail deadly childhood disease known as Diphtheria, the FCT Executive Committee (FCT EXCO) has directed all relevant health agencies in the Abuja, the nation’s capital territory to take all necessary preemptive measures against its emergence.
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In particular, the FCT Administration further directed its Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS) to ensure increased surveillance and awareness creation and sensitisation by all its relevant agencies, to curb the risk of the disease emerging and spreading within the territory.
Also, the FCTA urged HHSS to liaise with the Area Council Services Secretariat, as well as the Chairmen of the six Area Councils in the Territory to immediately convene an emergency meeting with relevant technical Partners and work out modalities to effectively confront the disease should it rear its ugly head in the FCT.
A statement from Director,
Information & Communication, FCT, Muhammad Hazat Sule, made available yesterday to PeoplesDaily, disclosed that the FCT EXCO gave this directive after its meeting held at Gwarinpa I District, Abuja, following a similar directive on the disease by the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in the wake of its emergence in some states
It disclosed that the FCT EXCO meeting, which was presided over by the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello was attended by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Olusade Adesola, Chief of Staff to the FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Bashir Mai-Borno, Secretaries of FCT Mandate Secretariats as well as other Directors.
Also, the meeting enjoined the HHSS to galvanise the support of all stakeholders and ensure massive sensitisation of all residents to further minimize the risk of contracting the ailment as cases have been reported in some states around the FCT.
Furthermore, the EXCO also directed the Abuja Metropolitan Management Council (AMMC) to restrict the activities of the Point of Sales (POS) operators scattered around the Federal Capital City to only commercial areas because of security concerns.
It equally observed that POS is a commercial enterprise, and, therefore, should be conducted only in the designated commercial areas, adding that aside from the security implications, the activities of POS operators also create environmental nuisances, as they serve to attract other commercial activities, thereby generating uncontrolled waste.
“The EXCO reemphasizes the importance that the present leadership of the FCT Administration places on the security and well-being of the residents and assures that it will take every necessary measure to protect all Nigerians and visitors residing in Abuja.
“Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by the organism referred to as Corynebacterium diphtheria which affects the throat, nose, and sometimes, skin of unvaccinated children and rarely adults with poor immunity.
“The symptoms of the disease also include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes, neck swelling, and difficulty in breathing.
“Diphtheria spreads easily between people through direct contact with infected people, droplets from coughing or sneezing, and contact with contaminated clothing and objects, thereby underscoring the importance of hygiene and environmental sanitation in the prevention.
“The people most at risk are the unvaccinated and those who live in crowded areas and/or where there is poor sanitation.
“To reduce the risk of contracting the disease, children are expected to get fully vaccinated with three (3) doses of the Pentavalent vaccine as recommended in the National childhood immunization schedule.
“The FCT immunization coverage currently stands at 83%, against the national average of 57%, though at least 95% of all children are expected to be vaccinated to assure herd immunity, thereby preventing spread”, the statement explained.