A 62-year-old woman has died from cholera in Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu-North Local Government Area of Ogun State. The woman contracted the disease while caring for her infected child, who is currently hospitalized. The tragic incident occurred three days ago.

Confirming the outbreak, Dr. Tomi Coker, the Commissioner for Health, stated: “A 62-year-old woman died and five persons were hospitalized. It happened in Ijebu-Igbo in the Ijebu-North local government area of the state.”

Dr. Kunle Ashimi, the chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ogun State, acknowledged the widespread impact of cholera in a press conference on Thursday, June 20. He noted that the disease has affected 30 states across the country, including Ogun. Ashimi assured that cholera cases would be treated free of charge at designated facilities and urged the public to adopt preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Ashimi emphasized the importance of proper hygiene and preventive measures, stating:
“Such patients will be transported to and treated free at the facilities designated for the management of cholera cases across the state. We use this opportunity to appeal to our people to imbibe preventive measures for the prevention of the spread of cholera, including avoiding open defecation, avoiding indiscriminate refuse dumping, washing hands regularly, washing fruits and vegetables well before consuming, and treating water before consuming it either by boiling or treating with chemical purifying agents.”

He added that, in the absence of other methods, adding two drops of plain household bleach to 1 liter of water is an effective alternative for purification. Additionally, he implored schools to monitor food, fruit, and snack vendors around their premises to ensure proper hygiene practices and to reintroduce hand washing stations similar to those implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.