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A good number of families in Afaha Atai, Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, have been brought to their knees with the incidents of water borne diseases ravaging the community.
Over 500 households with more than 2,000 occupants have reported cases of waterborne diseases ranging from typhoid/malaria, cholera, dysentery, Hepatitis A, among others.
This was disclosed during the commissioning of solar powered borehole and free medical outreach organized by the National Association of Seadogs, NAS, also known as Pyrates Confraternity on Saturday.
Afaha Atai has long had challenges of unsafe drinking water and the spread of waterborne diseases.
Speaking during the outreas, Dr. Eshiet Ekanem, Medical Mate of Sancta Riviera Deck, said the team conducted a detailed scoping mission in Afaha Atai and its neighboring communities — Afaha Etim and Mbietebe — to determine their healthcare needs before the outreach.
He said they were alarmed with the rate of waterborne diseases in the community.
Ekanem said, “Our findings showed that water scarcity in this area has led to an increase in waterborne diseases. We came with a full stock of medications to treat common illnesses such as malaria, typhoid, and scabies.
“We also discovered that about 35 percent of the residents are elderly, with nearly a third of them aged 70 years and above, so we made provisions for ailments like arthritis, poor vision, and other age-related conditions.
“During our planning, we received information from the village head that over 9,000 people might turn up. Though not everyone will come, we prepared for at least 2,000 to 3,000 beneficiaries.”
Also speaking, the NAS Captain, Dr. Joseph Oteri, said the intervention was part of activities marking the association’s quarterly meeting in the state.
According to him, the decision to bring the outreach to Afaha Atai stemmed from the prevalence of waterborne and communicable diseases in the area.
“Each of our quarterly meetings is an opportunity to touch humanity in a tangible way. We usually select a list of communities for a scoping mission to assess disease prevalence and population. That helps us determine the quantity of drugs to purchase and the number of medical personnel to engage,” he said.
The Chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Evang. Edidiong Inyang, while commissioning the renovated solar-powered borehole, lauded the Seadogs for the gesture, describing it as a lifeline for residents who lack access to basic healthcare.
He admitted that the borehole was abandoned for a long time, forcing the people to depend on unsafe water sources.
