COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF CHOLERA OUTBREAKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE PRACTICES AMONG RESIDENTS OF SELECTED WARDS IN YAKURR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA 0 0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.83374/jesber.vol1no2.101Keywords:
Cholera outbreaks, Environmental hygiene practices, Sanitation facilities, Environmental health, Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River StateAbstract
Cholera remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, yet localized, comparative evidence on how cholera occurrence relates to environmental hygiene practices across neighbouring wards remains limited, leaving it unclear whether variations in access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities influence the distribution of cholera outbreaks at the ward level. This study assessed cholera outbreaks and environmental hygiene practices among residents of selected wards in Yakurr Local Government Area, Cross River State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional research design combining questionnaire survey and direct observation was adopted. Seven wards, Nko, Mkpani/Agoi, Ekori, Idomi, Inyima, Assiga, and Ugep, were purposively selected based on the presence of a healthcare facility. Secondary data on cholera cases for the period 2021 to 2025 were obtained from healthcare centres within the selected wards, while primary data were collected from 400 respondents, proportionately allocated across the wards using the Taro Yamane formula, to assess residents' access to sanitation facilities and environmental hygiene practices. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square (X²) test. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference in the distribution of cholera cases across the wards and years of study (X² = 272.257, df = 28, p < .001). Mkpani/Agoi recorded the highest proportion of cholera cases (24.49%), while 2023 recorded the highest overall annual incidence (26.33%). The study further revealed inadequate access to improved sanitation facilities, with traditional pit latrines with open slabs the most common facility, and the persistence of unhygienic practices, including open dumping of refuse (21.5%), drinking of untreated water (23.5%), and open defecation (15.25%), among residents. The study concludes that inadequate access to safe water and sanitation facilities, together with unhygienic environmental practices, may contribute to the recurrence and uneven spatial distribution of cholera outbreaks in Yakurr Local Government Area, and recommends the provision of adequate sanitation facilities and sustained community health education to improve hygiene practices and reduce cholera incidence in the study area.Downloads
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