By: Dave Dele
WaterAid Nigeria has tasked Bauchi State Cholera Technical Working Group to factor rehabilitation of dilapidated WASH facilities into their budgetary requests to guarantee rapid response to any outbreak of cholera or related water-borne diseases.
The state task team lead of WaterAid, Mashat Mallo, who made the remarks at the maiden meeting of the technical working group in Bauchi, said reliance on donors was unacceptable as funders often allocate resources to ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) for the maintenance of such facilities to ensure sustainability.
“You need to go back to your budgetary allocations for WASH and utilise resources donors have supported you with to put those broken-down facilities to shape rather than wait for funders again to help you manage malfunctioned facilities,” Mashat added.
Represented by Kasim Alex Shuaibu, WaterAid Business Development Officer, Mallo however expressed support with the maiden meeting of the technical working group on cholera, which resolved to hold its meeting monthly and agreed to host the steering committee meeting quarterly. adding that, with suggestions from critical stakeholders including CSOs, religious groups and the media, efforts to halt the outbreak of cholera in Bauchi State would be achieved.
Earlier in his remarks, the State Commissioner for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Sani Mohammed Dambam said government would adopt preventive approach as the best measure in controlling the outbreak of cholera by working on the nine thematic areas like ensuring effective surveillance, sustained application of oral cholera vaccine, leadership and coordination and hammering on risk communication and community management.
Dr Dambam appealed to the critical stakeholders to work round the clock through their respective outfits to sensitise the public about unhealthy practices that could trigger the outbreak of cholera particularly in the first quarter of the year when the burden of the epidemic is normally high.
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