WHO begins prevention campaign against acute watery diarrhoea in Borno

The World Health Organization (WHO) has embarked on prevention Campaign of acute water diarrhoea in some internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Borno following reported cases of the disease.

According to Dr Chima Onuekwe, the WHO communication Officer for northeast , the affected IDPs camp where some cases of the disease was reported which promted the excercise is Modinatu camp and environs old Maiduguri, area of Borno state.

Eyes Of Lagos gathered that, Onuekwe who stated this on Saturday in Maiduguri, noted that apart from the acute watery diarrhea prevention campaign and health education of the IDPs in their camps to avert further spraid of the disease, WHO is on the second cycle of its seasonal malaria prevention vaccination for over one million children in Borno which earlier took place between 14th to 17th July this year before the Present campaign which began on 23rd of this month being August to end on 26th of the month.

Also, according to Raymond Apagu, the coordinator for the Community Health Campaign, a non-governmental Organization partnering WHO for the prevention and eradication of the acute watery diarrhoea in the camps and environs, 35 cases of the disease was recorded in the Modinatu IDPs camp, while 4 to 5 cases were recorded on daily basis.

”With the preventive measures that has been put in place, we have recorded tremendous improvement based on feedbacks we are getting from the IDPs after visiting them. We have equally embarked on serious health campaign to the IDPs on the need for them to maintain hygein in their camps because the disease thrives in a filthy environment.

”One of the major preventive measure taken to halt the disease is treatment of water the IDPs’ households drink with aquatabs to clean the water in addition to other measures. We search for the disease, distribute aquatabs and educate the IDPs healthwise,” he said.

In the same vein, Amina–Abu Sefian, the team leader for CHC, said the NGO also embarked on the education of the IDPs on how to protect themselves from the disease through the protection of their environment

Ms Sefian said to achieve this , her team approaches the IDPs in their camps to teach them some health tips of which if maintained will keep them away from contracting the acute watery diarrhea.

”What we are doing is sensitizing the people on the need to avoid open defecation which is one of the major cause of acute watery diarrhea in addition to the five rules of the disease prevention, which include avoidance of flies, washing of fingers after defication , avoidance of faeces around the environment, the fluids they take, treatment of water they drink and the food they eat,” she added.