The minority leader in the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda (PDP-Rivers), has urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency over the cholera outbreak in the country.

He made the call in a statement on Saturday, stressing the need for coordinated joint stakeholder action against the outbreak to nip it in the bud.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had earlier announced the outbreak of the water-borne disease in 30 states of the federation.

Mr Chinda, therefore, stated that “the outbreak highlights critical deficiencies in public health safety measures and underscores the need for immediate action.”

According to him, a lack of adequate investment in public and personal health education has contributed significantly to the spread of preventable diseases.

He added that “as schools across the nation resume from the recent public holidays, there is an urgent need to declare a state of emergency on cholera. 

“This declaration will enable coordinated efforts at all levels of government to deploy resources swiftly towards containing the outbreak, improving sanitation infrastructure, and intensifying public health education campaigns.

“Governments at all levels must prioritise the allocation of resources towards improving water and sanitation facilities in affected communities.

“We call upon stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organisations, community leaders and individuals, to collaborate in combating this outbreak.”

The lawmaker said that investment in robust public health education programmes is crucial to raising awareness about hygiene practices that can prevent the spread of water-borne diseases, including cholera.

He urged the public to remain calm, vigilant, practise good hygiene and seek prompt medical attention if experiencing symptoms associated with cholera. 

(NAN)