Simon Kolawole Live!: By Simon Kolawole, Email: simon.kolawole@thisdaylive.com
This story often gladdens me and, at the same time, angers me. There is a community called Birnin Ruwa in Zamfara State, which used to be afflicted with the cholera epidemic every year. A dozen persons were always guaranteed to die with each outbreak, which was an annual event. Those who know Northern Nigeria very well will understand why. Denied of potable water, rural communities depend on water from streams to cook, wash and bathe. Unfortunately, during rainy seasons, the streams are easily polluted. With human and animal wastes perching on the banks, it takes a few drops of rain to defile the water. Pit latrines also overflow after heavy rainfall. Cholera outbreaks are inevitable. Every year, hundreds of people die from the epidemic. You can almost be sure.
