Flood: Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative calls for urgent measures to avoid outbreak of water borne diseases

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By Akanji Alowolodu, Bauchi

Bauchi State Government has been urged to as a matter of urgency, take measures that will safe lives especially of the people in the rural areas considering the spare of flood across the state.

The call is coming as flood has ravaged communities across the State, leading to contamination of various sources of drinking waters of the residents.

The call was made by a Bauchi based Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Journalists for Public Health and Development Initiative (J4PD) which expressed concerns over the possibility of outbreak of water borne diseases across the State.

J4PD in a statement issued by the Knowledge Management and Communication (KMC) Advisor, Bashir Hassan Abubakar called on the relevant State authorities to take proactive measures in tackling possible outbreak of diseases resulting from the flooding.

Also, Executive Director of J4PD, Elizabeth Kah stressed that, taking a proactive measure in decontaminating sources of water, especially in rural areas that were raveged by flood disasters would curtail the spread of preventable diseases in such communities.

The ED particularly called on the State Primary Health Care Development Board (SPHCDB) to liaise with sister Agencies like the Bauchi State Water Corporation, State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (RUWASSA), Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA) and other line MDAs to fashion out ways of preventing disease outbreaks.

Elizabeth Kah further enjoined flood prooned communities to assist the authorities by boiling water, using alum and other water treatment coagulants at the household level.

She said that J4PD is ready to collaborate with both State and Non State partners in the implementation of community based approach to improve healthcare promotion at community level.