 Welcome back and our first conversation right here on the breakfast in Pasadena, Africa. Our concern is increasing that more Nigerians are going to get infected and many more may die from the nationwide cholera outbreak, which is fueled by flooding, fueled by terrorism-related activities, civil unrest, lack of proper environmental sanitation, as well as shortage of vaccines. Now, the United Nations Children's Fund Unicef at the weekend raised the alarm that more than 2.5 million people in Nigeria are in need of humanitarian assistance, 60% of whom are children. And that's very worrying. And they are also said to be at increased risk of waterborne diseases, drowning and malnutrition due to the most severe flooding that has engulfed Nigeria in the past decade. Now, the floods, which have affected 34 out of Nigeria's 36 states, have displaced an estimated 1.3 million people. Over 600 people have lost their lives and over 200,000 houses have either been partially or fully damaged. This is reported, it is reported that cases of diarrhea and waterborne diseases, respiratory infections and skin diseases have also been on the rise. In the northeastern states of Nigeria, you have Bono State, Adamao State and Yobes State alone. A total of 7,485 cases of cholera and 319 associated deaths were reported as of October 12. Now, this is a worrying situation. Now, joining us to discuss this cholera outbreak in Nigeria and the way forward is public health expert Dr. Tuiye Mehba Wondo. Dr. Mehba Wondo, good morning, Tuiye. Thank you very much for your time. Good morning. Thank you for having me. I hope you are enjoying the rain. We can hear you loud and clear. Cholera, this situation is really, really worrying. I mean, we're hearing the National Center for Disease Control confirming 10,745 cases of cholera with 256 deaths in 31 states. What is cholera? Yeah, thank you. Cholera is a disease caused by a bacteria we call bibliocolera. What bacteria does is to cause vomitting and screening and a lot of water and nutrients from the body. And within a few periods, such a massive loss of food and liquid from the body results in death. The mortality rate of cholera is very high. It can be as high as 40 to 40 percent. So that's what caused cholera. That's the absolutely bacteria. How does bacteria not get to even a single day? Cholera is a disease of poverty. It's a disease of inequality. It's a disease we see from instability and fight death states. It's a disease of malnutrition. It's a disease of water, sanitation, and hygiene. Most of the time, cholera is taken from the species of contaminated ones, sources into the mouse. And then within a few days, it then decides to leave the classical centers of vomiting and watches too. All right. Dr. Chris, Dr. Tuyabegha, pardon. Would you say that this outbreak that we're experiencing now can be connected with the current flooding situation in Nigeria? Yeah. Yeah. Why we're having this outbreak now? Listen. Cholera has been occurring in Nigeria in the current day. If I let this here, what cholera outbreak? We're quite a number of people died. Now, the situation of the flooding is worse in the case of cholera because there's massive disruption of water, sanitary hygiene, particulate matters, species that contaminate surface water. And indeed, lots of water not to drink. People have not been destabilized from their home. They live more in the camp. And in lots of issues of sanitary hygiene have been breached. If we look at how this is going to start, in February, in Nigeria, that's already been adjacent to district in their seasonal climate prediction, we call it RTP, that we're going to experience floods in Nigeria and the talk of cleaning water levels, issues that they come up. But, you know, like all of us, like what's this going to be in Nigeria, when we get the information, we go to sleep. We don't have to admit on them. And then we consider the issue of climate change. We consider the issue of anthropocene, female activities, birth to the climate. All this is combined with this private heavy rainfall to give us all we're seeing now. Even though this thing has just happened, we have been warned as far back as even years, as far back as February, the Nigeria Meteorological Agency has told us that we're going to have a steady rain, we're going to have floods, there will be a fire. And if you look at the country, where there is no water recalitation infrastructure, where the health system is weak, of course, during the flooding, except for the more challenging, what about diseases, typhoons, diarrhea, increased malaria, and all that stuff. All right. So you talked about the nine met predictions and you were saying basically that we had ample time to prepare for this situation. But unfortunately, we've not been able to put in place mechanisms. Now, when such warnings and alerts are issued by the weather agents in meteorological services, what are the health services meant of government, health agencies, that the ministry or the NCDC, the state governments and the public health departments of the states, what are they meant to be doing immediately to get these predictions and of hiring for possible flooding, flash flooding, et cetera. What should they be doing when they get these alerts and these reports, predictions? Response. So flooding or climate issue is not going to get the health alone. It's a multicellular response. The agriculture, the agriculture will be there. Mission of environment, housing, education, health, minimalia, the mission of information. This has really, yes, it has a set of collaboration. In the sense that, what probably comes, this is a lot of challenges, nutritional challenges, trade crops, healthlessness or homelessness, increase the structure and location to IDP, the sort of education built in the past structures, like roads, electricity, supplies and all those things. So it's a multidimensional, you know, multicellular collaboration that needs to be done with such challenge. Now, at level of the health, we identify clearly how do you provide water for these people should floods happen. So it means that we must have a means of supplying water to those people, whether that will be clean, that will be portable, that will not be useless to their health. It means that you see, you have to step off primary health care services in the flood pool area, in such a way that the doctors can respond to their health. Because don't forget, the nurses, pharmacists, doctors in those areas, you also have their houses washed away. Flood is not easy to do between them. So how do you mobilize human resources to respond in that situation? What sort of things you have to buy? Equipment, drugs, you're supposed to be that you have to buy to respond at that point. What sort of health education or health literacy or campaign that you need to do to ensure that people know what to do in this dire situation? These are collaborative reform that involves everybody from agriculture, education, environment, infrastructure, health, all of them must work together. So the component of the health, for instance, look at this. You know that when there's flooding, there's going to be increased cholera. What you should be actually is to step up cholera vaccination. Now how can you step up cholera vaccination? When all you just have in the world now is about 10 million doses of cholera vaccine. That's 6 million. Out of these, the problem has shifted before now. It's about 8 million for emergency response. I would just have about 4 million left. And now we're looking at how to produce cholera vaccine. I wonder what type of vaccine, you know, you can immunize people across like to prevent the health challenges that we may encounter during flooding and when cholera comes coming. These are some of the things we need to do. What sort of things you need to provide for them? When you tell it as it was today, these are issues that reside in the environmental and ministry. These are the environment and what type of people. All right, Dr. Thuy, let's still talk about what we can do as a people, as a government and all the stakeholders to stop the forest spread or outbreak of cholera, especially at this time where, I mean, we might just be going through a national disaster. Well, actually, the point is the cheapest for us is to dispense copious information. Now, in English, we're talking about, in Yoruba language, in British English, in the Go, in Yoruba, in Yoruba, no collapse to this area. And secondly, you can do a lot of park life and bananas, tell them that it's a new single type of cholera. We need to do that to commission. It's very, very easy. Secondly, you need to secure alternative of water supply for your house too. And hard-working, even with the flood, you have to wash your hands, wash your wetting of this potential, for skin potentials, to water contamination will be due. And you have to move away from the flood area because there are also disease coming after the flood. There will be increase in malaria because of the stagnation of the water and the bringing of the disease vector. You have to be careful in terms of the reptiles, an arena that may move in the abode and enter the net. So for cholera, anything you need to do, hygiene, secure water supply, sanitation, proper distribution of the waste, those are just places. But how about those who have been displaced? I mean, because it's encompassing. We're talking about a lot of persons who have been displaced, especially with the current situation of flooding. And how can these persons act in this way? People have lost their houses. I will try to get your question. Okay, so I'm saying that the issue is encompassing. Now we have, you know, from your thought, it feels like you're directing that to those who actually have houses and are leaving comfortably. But what happens to those who have been displaced, especially by the current situation in the country? We need to, you know, like I said, wish back that I was expecting the top people who can pay for election to spare thoughts, mobilize, support, and resources to help those people. There are multiple identities, multiple identities. It's not just about Monterey or Neymar. The NGOs, churches, religious institutions, you know, state domain. I have some countries donating money. For example, we need to use this money effectively to support those people. Now, all we need to do is take performance to look for a high ground. Yes, this book has been temporarily made before the work had been received. That is essential. There's not only, we have to provide material for them including beds, not sitting there, stood by stands, sit down at the station, provide something up on work for their students, very young and very old. Those some we have to actually do for them. Then all the parties, both in the group of workers we have to play, and in case maybe the earlier installation of the water supply is key. Earlier the installation of health institutions is key. The integrated transport management is a multi-sector approach. Health complex is there. I would like to remind you very much to get to it again. Now, we are going to see destruction of the landfills at about 84,000 hectares of farmland that we destroyed so far. There is a situation for food supply. So government was actually made food in, distributed to the people of supply to them at a very, very cheap rate. So they must be into it. And then they carried the vulnerable children, you know, like we are already working to learn to learn to learn to learn. This plant is going to work in manipulation. And we must pay attention, not its color. Then in the next few months we must pay attention to the replicants of manipulation. This is the malaria and typhoon that will be upcoming. So this is some of the things that we can do right now. All right, Dr. Thuy, for those who are watching this morning, who would like to know what they can do to protect themselves, their children? You have kids going to school, you know, you have some schools are on mid-times. Adobe returned to school, show some time next week. You have people who are in flood affected areas but probably are able to still continue their lives. I don't know if this is a communicable disease if it spreads from person to person. What can families do to protect themselves? What do they need to do? Let's put government aside for now to protect themselves. I think the first thing is life. So families are also going to seek secured locations. It could be the health of state governments, NGOs, federal governments, or even concerning the need for secure locations for the family. That is the first thing. And the beauty is that in Africa, we see how this connection we have had with the family elsewhere, temporary. So you know, seek that temporary location. You know they can still hire to be without the flood, or you know the way of the flood water level. So it's important, that's the first thing. Then the next thing is that the family must embrace basic water transportation and hygiene. The most basic water transportation that I do. That is very key. Secondly, I'm sure they can, it is good to have structural education for them. This one is not last forever. It will be in the streets after it has caused some damage. I don't even know if it can serve it, some of their some of their, some of the problems they have, some of their value that is set up almost. What I mean is to be secure their life, prevent the disease, look up to understand their life with every help that I do. Alright, we would like to say a very big thank you to Dr. Thuy, member of the public health expert for your thoughts and analysis of the very worrying cholera outbreak situation in parts of Nigeria exacerbated by some factors including the flooding that's ravaging 34 out of 36 states in the country. Really grateful for your time sir. Alright, and of course we'll be back. We'll keep our eyes on this ball and on this situation, monitoring what happens as it unfolds in the coming days and weeks. It's really worrying situation with the deaths being recorded. And of course you have people dying in this flood affected areas, affecting water bodies and you don't know who is going to want to do something with that water. Maybe dead bodies you know will be found even after the water goes away and public health agencies need to swing into action in a bigger way to do something about this. We'll take a break and when we come back we talk finance. Of course there's a new card, a finance card that is being introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria. We'll have more discussions ahead on the breakfast.