Cholera: Red Cross trains 60 volunteers for community engagement
Engagement
By Joan Odafe
Lagos, June 26, 2024 (NAN) The Nigerian Red Cross Society, Lagos Branch, has trained 60 emergency response volunteers to enable them to acquire skills to curb cholera spread in communities.
The volunteers were trained at the “Training of Volunteers on Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) for the Cholera Outbreak” programme on Wednesday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the programme was organised by the branch with support from the British Red Cross.
The Chairman of the branch, Mrs Adebola Kolawole, told NAN that 20 volunteers were selected from each of three different local government areas.
She listed the council areas as Kosofe, Eti-Osa and Lagos Island.
Kolawole said that the volunteers were selected from the Red Cross divisions because cholera was more prevalent in them.
The chairman said that the volunteers would go to various communities in the council areas for 20 days after the training, to engage them on issues regarding cholera.
“This intervention is to sensitise our volunteers on what they need to know about cholera.
“They will go into public places – marketplace, churches and mosques – and talk to them on how to prevent more outbreak.
“They will give them thorough enlightenment, sensitise and engage them one-on-one on hygiene,” she said.
She said that the volunteers would also enlighten community members on the need to stop buying from roadsides, food and drinks not approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control,” she said.
The Secretary of the branch, Mr Olakunle Lasisi, told NAN that the training would influence behavioural changes, prevent misinformation and help members of the communities to make informed choices.
“The changes will lead to better ways of living and guard against spread of cholera and other diseases,” he said.
Mr Badejo Olusegun, Health Educator, Lagos State Ministry of Health, said: “Our sources of water must be safe and hygienic, we should also make sure we are very observant of the places we eat or buy foods.
“We should avoid meat or fish that is exposed to flies and make use of public toilets when on a journey and avoid open defecation,” he said.
Participants at the training urged the state government to look into the sources of drinking water of the affected communities.
They urged the government to enforce hand washing in schools to prevent the disease from spreading. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
JOJO/IGO
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Edited by Ijeoma Popoola
