The Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHDA), in collaboration with the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), has reaffirmed its commitment to improving citizens’ survival through programmes that will eliminate the spread of cholera across the State.

Director, Disease Control, Immunisation, Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Joseph Takwale Vawa, disclosed this during a Capacity Building Frontline Responders on infection prevention and control meeting held in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, at the weekend.

Dr Joseph Takwale Vawa said the State has a proactive measure already designed to look at some of the seasonal outbreaks of diseases like Cholera with a view to tackling its spread.

“In order to achieve these measures, a team is on the ground that usually brings people from various NGO’s especially those working directly within various communities”, he explained.

The capacity building will also expand the scope of the staff on how to handle outbreaks of Cholera in different capacities, as well as acquiring new knowledge through some of the interventions with strategies, as well as sharing experiences with facilitators, he added.

According to him, Adamawa State has 1070 and 1 functional Primary Health Care Centre per ward, making a total 2026, which includes “Vocal Primary Health Care Facility” with 24-hour operation across the State.

On why more emphasis is given to Yola North Local Government Area, Dr Joseph explained that over the past four years, the Area has witnessed more cholera outbreaks, hence the need to commence training there before proceeding to other Local Government Areas.

However, “other Local Government Areas in the State are not left out, especially where concentration is minor, with focus on community leaders who have been able to handle Cholera cases effectively because of the capacity training acquired”.

He also explained that the immediate intervention of the Primary Health Care is to ensure that patients who are vomiting and stooling are given fluid therapy to enable them to stabilise before referring them to a Cholera Disease Centre in the Specialist Hospital.

“Clients are given the fluid therapy to enable them to reach the facility strong as a way to prevent mortality from Cholera cases”, he stressed.

Also collaborating, the UNICEF Health Officer, Bauchi Field Office, Mr Patrick Akor, said the essence of the capacity-building training of the Frontline health workers is for them to get prepared for any response concerning cholera cases in Yola North and environs.

Patrick Akor explained that Yola North was carefully selected based on the analysis recently carried out to ensure that everyone is ready to reduce any potential spread from Ward, Community and Local Government Areas to avoid any devastating effects, especially on children who are more vulnerable.

He particularly called on community leaders, stakeholders and other partners to embrace the activities of the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to achieve the health objectives of serving the needy.

Participants who spoke with New Telegraph admitted that the workshop has enabled them to know that “standard precautions are the basic measures necessary to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious agents from both recognised and unrecognised sources”.

Some of the standard precautions, according to them, include: hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette, as well as decontamination and sterilisation of reusable medical equipment, safe handling of linen, among others.

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