The Jos Water Services Corporation (JWSC), says it has made bulk procurement of water treatment chemicals .
Mr Apollos Samchi, the Managing Director (MD) of JWSC, said this on Thursday in Jos, at the official campaign launch against cholera in the State organised by the ministry of Water Resources.
Samchi, said the purchase of 1,000 metric tonnes of alum and 1000 tins of chlorine gas, which, were essential chemicals for the treatment of water, was the current administration’s means of ensuring that water pumped out was portable and up to the World Health Organisation’s standard.
The MD, said the campaign launch against the cholera disease was brought to the primary school to ensure that the pupils inculcated the act of good hygiene, hand washing and ensuring they drank water from safe sources and also shun the act of open defecation.
Similarly, Mr Jonathan Malann, Programme Coordinator of SURWASH in Plateau, said that the present administration in a bid to safeguard public health and ensure that the state remained cholera free, had embarked on proactive measures to forestall the disease outbreak.
Malann,said the campaign was one of the preventive measures, to sensitise the public, especially children on ways to preventive the disease.
The programme coordinator, defined cholera as a severe diarrheal disease caused by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.
Malann, said the disease was a significant threat to health, particularly in areas with inadequate water supply, sanitation, and hygiene.
He said the common sources of cholera Infection was the faecal contamination of drinking water at the source (unprotected wells, boreholes, standpipes), during transport or supply, or contact with hands soiled by faeces.
He therefore, called on the public to ensure they maintained good hygiene, and shunned the act of open defecation.
He called on members of the public to desist from consuming water that they were not sure of it’s source and to also ensure they washed their fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
He said the choice of the LEA primary school, in Gero in Jos South Local Government Area, was to sensitise the pupils on the disease and on ways to prevent it.
Earlier. Mrs Rachel Shindia, the Head Teacher, LEA primary school Gero, commended the ministry for picking the school and for sensitising the pupils.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that prior to the launch, a sensitisation walk was held in Jos to create public awareness on cholera and its preventive measures. (NAN)(
