When floodwaters recede, health crisis begins - Physicians warn

Nigeria faces a growing public health emergency in the wake of devastating floods that have submerged homes and disrupted lives across several regions. While the immediate destruction of property and livelihoods captures attention, health experts caution that the most severe danger emerges after the floodwaters recede.

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The health crisis begins after the flood.

Consultant Public Health Physician Dr. Adedayo Aderibigbe highlighted that contaminated water, inadequate sanitation, and blocked drainage systems, exacerbated by climate change, create fertile ground for infectious diseases like cholera, typhoid, and malaria. "The health crisis begins after the flood," Aderibigbe stated, emphasizing that the invisible threat carried by floodwaters poses a significant risk.

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We have seen repeated flooding disrupting human lives and livelihoods. Houses are flooded, streets are flooded and businesses are disrupted. People are displaced from their homes and lose their means of livelihood. Apart from the physical destruction, flooding also creates emotional trauma because people suddenly lose their homes, their possessions and their sense of security.

These floodwaters are not merely rainwater; they carry sewage, refuse, and disease-causing organisms that can spread infections rapidly. Aderibigbe identified cholera as an immediate concern. He also pointed to human activities, such as indiscriminate waste disposal and building on natural waterways, as factors that worsen flooding and hinder government efforts to manage it, despite investments in drainage infrastructure.

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We clog our drainage channels. We fail to clear them regularly. People dump refuse indiscriminately and others build on natural waterways. When the rain comes, the water has nowhere to go.

Physicians are urging government authorities to bolster disease surveillance systems and ensure adequate stocks of essential medicines. This proactive approach is crucial to mitigate the escalating health risks and prevent a further rise in preventable deaths as communities grapple with the aftermath of the floods.

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The floodwater people wade through is not just rainwater. It carries sewage, refuse, human waste and disease-causing organisms capable of spreading infections across entire communities.