Five people have died following a cholera outbreak in Ikpide-Irri, a riverine community in the Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State.
The victims, four women and one man, suffered from severe vomiting and diarrhea before succumbing to the disease.
They were unable to access medical care as the community’s only health centre has been non-functional for years.
Residents revealed that more than five other personss displaying similar symptoms had to travel for two hours to Oleh, the council headquarters, for medical treatment.
The community relies on river water for drinking, as the two boreholes in the area have been out of service for years.
Government tests confirmed the river water is contaminated, prompting officials to warn residents to stop using it as promises were made to provide alternative water sources.
The council chairman, Friday Warri, responded promptly upon learning of the outbreak, deploying medical personnel and supplies to prevent the further spread of the disease.
He also led a delegation—including the state epidemiologist, state ministry of health staff, and World Health Organization (WHO) officials, to assess the situation, educate residents on cholera prevention, and supply medical aid to the abandoned health centre.
Read also: Delta State College of Health announces 2024/2025 admission
Warri urged the community to follow cholera prevention guidelines, stating that “only a healthy, educated, and secure population can drive sustainable development.”
Ikpide-Irri community Chairman, Mike Orufuo, thanked the council chairman and health officials for their swift intervention, describing it as “effective leadership and responsive governance.”
He appealed for the revival of the health centre in the community, the installation of solar-powered boreholes, and deployment of medical staff to the community.
Orufuo also called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and President Bola Tinubu to address the community’s lack of essential amenities, lamenting the unfulfilled promises made during election campaigns.
“It is not only during elections that they should come to Ikpide-Irri for campaigns and promises, only to abandon us afterward,” he said.
