James Faleke, the lawmaker representing the Ikeja Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has called on Nigerians to treat the cholera outbreak in some parts of the country with the same level of seriousness as they did the coronavirus pandemic. Faleke made this appeal during an interview with journalists in Lagos State on Monday.

According to reports, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) recently announced that 53 deaths due to cholera had been recorded in the country. NCDC Director-General Dr. Jide Idris stated that the Federal Government had activated the National Emergency Operation Centre for cholera.

Idris reported, “As of June 24, 2024, 1,528 suspected cases and 53 deaths were recorded across 31 states and 107 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 3.5% since the beginning of the year.”

In response, Faleke emphasized the importance of heightened vigilance and cleanliness to curb the cholera outbreak.

“Every Nigerian needs to be careful; our attitude to cleanliness matters. The way we took COVID-19 seriously is the way we should take this cholera outbreak. Cholera has killed many people. We expected that, in this modern age, we should not be having an outbreak of cholera in Nigeria. However, it has come; so, we have to deal with it. People should be more careful with what they eat and drink,” he said.

Faleke also advised against consuming fake products, stressing the importance of drinking clean water.

On Sunday, the Lagos State Government, through the Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Office, Sunkanmi Oyegbola, urged public servants to maintain good hygiene to avoid contracting cholera or other water and airborne diseases.