In a bid to sensitise residents of rural areas on preventive measures on cholera outbreak in the state, environmental health officers under the Bauchi State Environmental Protection Agency (BASEPA), on Thursday, commenced a special house to house inspection and sensitisation of residents on the prevention of cholera.
The health officers, popularly called Duba Gari, took their activities to Rariyan Goro and Rariyan Tukwane communities of Dankade ward in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state.
They are expected to check the toilet conditions, evidence of open defecation and source of water supply as well as conditions of all the houses visited, hygiene practice facility available, refuse disposal and the number of persons sensitised during the visit, among others.
A statement made available to journalists in Bauchi by the SA Media to BASEPA Director General, Isyaka Laminu Badamasi, informed that while addressing the gathering of residents of the areas before the commencement of the exercise, the Desk Officer, Inspection, Sanitarian, Haruna Suleiman, informed that the exercise was one of many measures designed by the Agency to mitigate against the outbreak of diseases in the state.
The selection of Rariya as the pilot community, according to Suleiman, was due to the fact that it was one of the hotspots of cholera outbreak in Bauchi State.
“The special exercise is part of the mitigation measures taken by the Agency towards cholera outbreak, which Rariya community was considered as one of the hotspots for the disease outbreak in the state,” Suleiman was quoted to have said.
He added that the exercise was designed to cover 400 households, targeting about 7,500 households in Bauchi LGA.
He, however, admonished the environmental health officers to be serious, mindful and exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their assigned responsibilities.
Speaking on behalf of the selected communities, the Mai Unguwar Rariyan Goro, Mallam Zubairu Ladan, expressed gratitude to the state government for selecting his communities for the special exercise.
He assured of the people’s cooperation throughout the conduct of the exercise.
While commending BASEPA for its consistency in the discharge of its responsibilities, which he said had helped in the prevention of many diseases, Ladan commended the leadership of the Agency, especially the Director General, Dr Ibrahim Kabir, for coming up with such initiatives and prayed for the success of the exercise.
