Cholera: Borno orders schools to activate prevention protocols

The Borno State Government has directed the immediate activation of cholera prevention and control protocols in schools to curb the spread of the disease. The directive followed a cholera outbreak that had killed more than 40 people and infected over 3,000 others across seven local government areas of Borno State. The outbreak, recorded between May 1 and May 28, spread across 139 communities in Maiduguri, Jere, Mafa, Konduga, Monguno, Ngala and Magumeri local government areas. The Manager of the Public Health Emergency Operations Centre under the state’s Ministry of Health, Dr. Jacob Audu Thliza, on Tuesday, said 274 new suspected cholera cases were reported within 24 hours. Borno State’s Commissioner for Education, Engr. Lawan Abba Wakilbe, in a statement on Wednesday, described the outbreak as a high-priority public health emergency requiring urgent and coordinated action by all educational institutions across the state. He, therefore, directed all education secretaries, school administrators, principals and head teachers to immediately implement preventive measures. He explained that cholera spreads rapidly through contaminated food and water, particularly in crowded environments such as schools, stressing the need for heightened vigilance to protect students, teachers and other school personnel. “Following the confirmed cholera alert in Maiduguri and surrounding communities, all schools must immediately activate their Epidemic Prevention and Control Plans in line with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). “The safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our utmost priority,” he said. Wakilbe also directed schools to strengthen Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) practices by ensuring regular handwashing with soap and clean water, providing multiple handwashing stations, guaranteeing access to safe drinking water, and prohibiting the sale or consumption of unpackaged water and food from unapproved vendors within school premises. He further instructed schools to enforce strict food safety standards, conduct daily environmental sanitation exercises, and ensure proper waste disposal and drainage maintenance to prevent contamination. The commissioner ordered schools to intensify surveillance and promptly report any suspected cholera cases to health authorities. “Suspected cases must be reported within two hours to the nearest Primary Health Care Centre, the Local Government Disease Surveillance Officer and the Ministry,” he said. He also directed schools to organise emergency sensitisation campaigns through assemblies and classroom discussions to educate students on cholera prevention and personal hygiene.