Cholera: Lagos govt tasks schools, parents on preventive measures

As primary and secondary school students and teachers in Lagos State resume tomorrow from the mid-term and Sallah break, the state government has urged all parents, guardians, and school authorities to take measures to effectively prevent students and school workers from being infected by the disease.

Lagos State is among the 30 states of the federation currently battling a cholera epidemic that has claimed lives and confined many others to hospital beds receiving treatment.

Cholera is a bacterial disease that commonly presents with episodes of diarrhea, with or without vomiting or fever. It is a serious public health concern, particularly at this time due to the state’s large population and the onset of the rainy season.

Cholera patients may become very dehydrated within hours if not treated. While young children are often at the highest risk, any age group can suffer from it as well.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, gave the advice in a statement on Tuesday evening, stating that the advice became imperative knowing that the disease is contagious and suspected cases had been reported across all 20 local government areas of the state.

He explained that the state government had released advisory guidelines for parents, school authorities, students, teachers, and other school workers to follow to keep themselves and the environment safe from the spread of the disease.

He said all parties are expected to practice safe and healthy lifestyles, including hand hygiene, cleaning, disinfection, health screening, safe food practices, vaccination, and communication.

Additionally, he emphasized that parents should monitor their children’s health and stay connected with their schools. School authorities, in turn, are expected to report any suspicious cholera cases to the relevant authorities.

He added that beyond the school community, the state government had extended the awareness and precautionary measures campaign against the disease to various other social and vulnerable groups in the state.

The essence of these efforts, he said, is to jointly contain the spread of the disease quickly.