President Bola Tinubu has directed the setting up of an inter-ministerial committee to oversee the cholera emergency operation centre being operated by the National Centre For Disease Control (NCDC).
Health Minister, Prof Ali Pate, who made this known to newsmen on Tuesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by the president at the State House, Abuja, listed the committee members to include: Federal Ministry of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation and Education.
According to him, the committee’s effort is in addition to state governments’ support towards ensuring that Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation as cholera requires a multi-sectoral approach.
He said: “The council then approved a cabinet committee comprising the Federal Ministries of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation and Education because some of our children will be returning to school.
“In addition to this, the State government we will co-opt so that Nigeria makes progress in reducing open defecation because cholera is a developmental issue that requires multi sectoral approach.
“The president directed that cabinet committee be set up to oversee what the emergency operation centre led by NCDC is doing and for the resources to be provided complemented by the state government.
Pate further disclosed that at the moment 31 states have recorded 1,528 cases with 53 deaths.
He said: “At the moment, about 31 states have recorded 1528 cases and 53 deaths in Nigeria that is what we are working on through emergency operation centre that was activated by NCDC on Monday.
“Now we have cholera outbreak and we discussed extensively in the Council in addition to a new emergence of yellow fever specifically in Bayelsa State.
“On cholera we are in the middle of 7th pandemic globally, in 2022 the world had almost 500,000 cases of cholera so it is not only peculiar to Nigeria. In 2023, almost 700,000 cases of cholera were reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This year more than 200,000 cases have occurred in five regions of the world”.
Deji Elumoye
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