The death victims, according to a press release issued and made available to journalists on Thursday in Abakaliki by the Public Relations Officer in the state ministry of health, Lucy Enyim, comprised men, women and children.
Enyim said the cholera outbreak started on Monday, 23rd September 2024, and it has also claimed the life of a nursing mother of a 9-month-old baby.
She noted that the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma, confirmed the incident while reacting to the rapid response at Iziogo Health Centre yesterday, 25th September 2024, confirmed the cholera outbreak.
"The Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ekuma has disclosed that about 9 to 10 deaths had been recorded while about 20 affected persons were responding to treatment.
"He enumerated the effort they have made to bring the condition under control and appreciated the Ebonyi State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for approving funds for the procurement of medical commodities for the outbreak.
"Dr Ekuma said that three treatment centres, including Iziogo Health Centre, Sudan Mission, Onuenyim and Ndibokote village, had been established in the area, he advised the people to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the disease.
"According to him, "Once you start having symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting or even any, you should rush to any of these emergency treatment centres".
"The Medical Expert revealed that they embarked on emergency response to avoid further loss of lives in the area and lauded development partners like WHO and UNICEF for their support.
"Contributing, the Director of Public Health, Dr Hyacinth Ebenyi, said that though they believed that the outbreak was a result of the suspected case from the woman who was buried, open defecation and poor hygiene contributed to the outbreak of the disease as they got their drinking water from streams."
The Public Relations Officer added: "A stakeholder of the community, Elder Stephen Nwankpuma, said that immediately after he got the distress call, he called the relevant authorities, which led to the quick intervention of the State Government.
"Also a Community Health Worker and the owner of God's Healing Clinic, Mr Maduabuchi Nwokpuru, narrated that the affected people brought to his facility were stooling and vomiting profusely, adding that they worked assiduously to save their lives. He pointed out that some cases were referred, some cases lost and few were responding to treatment.
"Some members of the Community who spoke on the grounds of anonymity said that the outbreak began after the burial of a woman suspected to have died of cholera last week.
"They alleged that they called the Chairman of Izzi Local Government Council, Hon. Stephen Nwankpa and one of the Coordinators of the Area but could not receive a quick response, adding that if the grassroots politicians had responded to their distress calls, the number of deaths recorded would have been less."
