Dr. Jerry Pantavo a surveillance officer with the World Health Organization (WHO) has disclosed that children below the age of 15 and women are the most vulnerable to cholera epidemic in the state.Pantavo who made the scathing revelation during a stakeholders meeting between development partners, state actors and members of Journalists Against Polio (JAP) in Yola noted that study conducted shows that the children and women are vulnerable because of exposure to events that makes them highly at risks of affliction.He said recent findings have shown that factors that were thought to be extraneous to the epidemic have been observed to play major roles in the spread of the disease noting that child labour, Almajiri practices and open defecation as a result of overcrowding are some major factors in contention.Pantavo noted that in their bid to contain the spread of the epidemic in Almajiri schools systems they have provided chlorinated hand washing stations in identified Almajiri settings and have intensified provision of chlorine to communities worst affected by the scourge.He noted that the cholera epidemic this year has been tamed to areas were vaccination was not administered last year adding that efforts are being put in place to ensure that more areas are vaccinated.Pantavo noted that WHO has created special centers for the treatment of cholera patients so that its contagion effect may be minimized.While applauding the effort of the JAP and other stakeholders, Pantavo noted that the media should strive to unearth some of the startling narratives behind the spread of the epidemic by going deep into the communities noting that the attempt will no doubt be as revealing as it will be startling.
