The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Osun State administration are collaborating to end the cholera outbreak and other illnesses in the state.
This was revealed during a bilateral conversation and incident meeting between a group of Red Cross volunteers and Ministry of Health representatives led by Dr. Akindele Adekunle, Special Adviser on Public Health to the Governor.
At the meeting, Dr. Akindele acknowledged that the organization will help the state eradicate cholera and other diseases, but he also stated that the government would be burdened too much to ensure the diseases are effectively eradicated without such support from humanitarian organizations.
“I genuinely want to express my gratitude to your organization for joining forces with us to eradicate cholera and other illnesses in our state.
“During the most recent cholera outbreak, we discovered that while we have competent medical personnel, our rural medical facilities do not have the capacity to promptly treat these individuals.
This is why the government is renovating more than 300 basic healthcare facilities completely, including reticulated water systems and round-the-clock power.
“We are confident that this will lessen the likelihood of these diseases spreading during any outbreak because our trained medical professionals will be able to respond to these cases in a timely manner within a well-equipped medical facility,” he stated.
The head of the Red Cross in Osun State, Sanya Olopade, stated that his organization is willing to collaborate with the state government to end cholera.
Our organization is pleased with the Osun government’s varied efforts in the health sector. We are here today to reaffirm that we are prepared to work in tandem with the Osun administration to address their needs.
It is impossible for any government to accomplish on its own. We will do all within our power to help Osun eradicate this illness and others, as demonstrated by the government of Osun’s open arms,” the Red-Cross representative said.
In order to stop the spread of cholera, the Ministry has partnered with sister agencies and taken a multidisciplinary approach, according to Permanent Secretary Dr. Isiaka Adekunle.
