The Kano State Government has urged residents to adopt safety measures against the current heatwave being experienced in the state.
The state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran, said this in a statement in Kano. Labaran expressed concern over the excessive heat and urged residents to adopt health precautionary measures to protect themselves against negative consequences.
“The excessive heat began in March this year, causing an increase in malaria and mortalities, that was why the ministry embarked on investigations to unravel the cause.
“Kano people are very much aware of the fact that these three months – March, April and May, and the beginning of June are the months of excessive heat, resulting in so many health complications, including malaria and meningitis cerebrum.
“It could be noted that in the past three months, malaria prevalence has dropped because of the winter season, but now the disease is on the increase due to the severity of the unbearable heat,’’ he said.
He added: “The temperature has reached the level that it could affect the brain, liver or kidney, so much that if any of these organs is affected, death could occur.
“Currently, the intensity of the heat in Kano is between 43 and 45 degrees, and the air in circulation is dry without moisture.
"This condition could cause scratch in the nose and one could contract meningitis.’’
He said that excessive heat could result in heat stroke, as a result of a shortage of blood and water in the body, leading to brain damage, especially among elderly people and those working under the sun.
Labaran advised the people to ensure that they protected themselves against mosquito bites, by sleeping under treated nets, covering doors and windows with nets to block mosquitoes from entering the rooms and use of insecticides.
He urged residents to report any person with symptoms of malaria to the health facility, for timely treatment, before it reached advanced stage.
On meningitis cerebrum, Labaran called on people to shun overcrowded rooms and halls, especially those with little or no ventilation. Labaran also advised residents to drink lots of water and fluids.