By Ovat Abeng
Amidst growing concern over the current outbreak of diphtheria across several Nigerian states, which has seen over 11,000 suspected cases, the Anambra State Government has commence a two-days residential training for it Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNO), to prevent a wide spread of diphtheria and other communicable diseases in the State.
Officers in charge (OIC), of Federal, State and Mission Health facilities in the State are also participants in the training.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike addressing journalists shortly after declaring the training open in Awka on Monday, emphasized the government’s steadfast response to the diphtheria outbreaks occurring in various states in Nigeria.
He said the Health Surveillance Officers are draw from the 21 local government areas of the State.
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According to the Commissioner, the training is to equipped them with preventive skill techniques on how they can go about to prevent a sudden outbreak of disease in their various council areas.
“Their responsibilities is to collect sample of any outbreak in their respective areas and notified the relevant ministry or agency for prompt action, especially, at this harmattan period, where some respiratory track infections could be high.
“This is the structure we used in fighting, when the State witnessed monkey pox, Lassa fever, yellow fever and measle. We used the measure to identify diseases sometimes and have it treated. It is a training of trainers (TOT) Programme. At the end of the workshop, the trainees will go down to their various council areas to trained others.
“So I urged them to make used of the training for the good of Ndi-Anambra,” Obidike solicited.
The State Epidemiologists, Dr. Emembolu Chuma, in his welcome address, said this is the first time such training can be held in Anambra State and the South East region at large.
“This is the first time such health preventive programme in the South East region will be organized, whereby a sitting governor will release fund to prevent a disease outbreak.
“We are training the DSNO and other health care providers due to the current outbreak of diphtheria in Nigeria. If you can recall, Nigeria recorded the first case in 2022 December in Kano State. Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo been a people-oriented governor, dim it fit to release fund for us to prepare for the diphtheria outbreak in case it comes into Anambra State. So we are grateful for the kind support.”
Dr Chuma who is also the convener of the programme, noted that the training was solely sponsored by the state government without any support from any health partners in Nigeria and beyond.
In their separate remarks, Obinwa Ngozi, a surveillance officer at the State Ministry of Health, Awka and Comrade Agbo Ifeanyi, from Idemili North Local Government Area of the State while commending governor Soludo for remembering their efforts at the rural areas, said it was the first time since the return of democracy in Nigeria, Anambra Government would be organizing such training for DSNO across the 21 LGAs in the State.
