UNICEF: Youths key to fighting cholera outbreaks

• Launches digital platform to boost awareness

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has described youths as critical to boosting campaigns against the outbreak of cholera in the country. The Officer-in-Charge, UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Mr Joseph Semesie, disclosed this on Tuesday at the University of Maiduguri during the launch of U-Report, a digital platform to step up awareness of the deadly disease.

Semesie said UNICEF introduced the digital platform (U-Report) to ensure young people get involved in spreading messages on hygiene, sanitation, and good living among community members to curtail outbreaks of the viral disease. “Cholera is deadly, but young people are critical in spreading messages to educate the people. This is what the UNICEF U-Report aims to achieve,” he told thousands of university and secondary school students at the launch. He said the anti-cholera campaign was necessary to prepare ahead of the rainy season.

The representative of the Borno State government and Director of Pollution and Control, Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA), Aisha Hamza, said cholera is a critical public health concern.

She also noted that cholera is an endemic disease in Borno, especially with the level of congestion and environmental problems caused by displacement through insurgency and flooding experienced last year.

“It is our responsibility to work together to kick cholera out of Borno State,” she maintained. She added that campaigns for preventing cholera were not only a public concern but also for building resilience and awareness about the deadly disease.

Mobile phones and other gifts were given to some of the students after a competition.