By: Gbenga Akingbule
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Borno State Government’s efforts to contain and prevent the spread of cholera across affected communities in the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that the recent cholera outbreak has claimed dozens of lives and infected more than 3,000 residents across over 100 communities in seven local government areas of Borno State .
Dr. Fatima Ibrahim Lawan, Project Team Lead for the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund (NHF) and a staff member of the IRC, told reporters on Tuesday at Ngarnam, one of the cholera treatment centres in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, that the organisation is working closely with the state government to contain the outbreak and limit the spread of cholera across affected communities.
Dr Lawan added that IRC is also woriking with other humanitarian partners , cummunity strutures other emengency structures – Borno State Ministry of Health to ensure that households and communities that ” are affecd have access to both treatment and preventive measures in other to enure that they are safe.”
According to Dr Lawan, “Nigerian Humanitarian Fund is currently supporting the IRC to respond to multi-sectoral needs and interventions in the Norrh Eastern part of Nigeria. While in the North Western part of Nigeria , we provide nutrition sensitive targeted interventions.
She explained that in the North-East, where Borno State is located, the organisation supports health facilities in delivering integrated health and nutrition services, while also embedding Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions within those facilities.
NHF Team Lead further revealed that funds received from the Nigerian Humanitarian Fund for the six-month project are being channelled towards meeting the needs of vulnerable households, enabling them to access health, nutrition and WASH interventions, while also working with the government to ensure the effective use of resources.
Already, the IRC said it is reaching cholera patients through it’s 13 Oral Rehydration Points (ORPs) across affected communities, while also working with other partners to support Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs) and Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) in the state.
While the IRC continues to play its part in ensuring that no more lives are lost to cholera in Borno State, the organisation has called for greater collaboration among government agencies, humanitarian partners and communities to effectively combat the disease.
” There is need for more coherent efforts to curtail this outbreak from all fronts – be it WASH , Treatnent ,.Survelance ,. Case finding and all the ceitical pillars for the response .” Said Peter Balami , Emergency Response Coordinator , IRC.
