WHO donates medical supplies to Nigeria over severe flooding

Lagos: The WHO has announced that it has donated emergency medical supplies to south Nigeria's Anambra state, in response to flood disasters during this rainy season that has affected more than 600,000 people in the state.

In a statement, the WHO said on Thursday that the Anambra state in the south region is one of the worst-affected state in floods hitting more than 30 states in Nigeria, many houses and health facilities have been submerged, wreaking havoc on people's psychological and mental health.

The WHO's Coordinator in Anambra, Adamu Abdulnasir said in the statement the global health organisation is working with health officials in the state to provide medical services and strengthen disease surveillance to make sure that if a disease breaks out, help can be given quickly.

Abdulnasir added that the donations, including medicines and rapid test kits, for various diseases will make sure that people in the affected areas get the care they need to deal with their immediate health problems.

"The flood increases the risk of infectious disease outbreaks such as cholera, malaria and typhoid fever," he said.

The Nigerian government revealed in late October that at least 612 people have died and more than 3.2 million people have been affected as a result of flooding across the country since the beginning of the rainy season this year.