Heavy rainfall that has battered Lagos since Sunday submerged roads and homes, stranded commuters and motorists, disrupted businesses and commercial activities, and left communities across the state counting their losses as floodwaters overwhelmed drainage channels.
Public health expert, Dr Godswill Iboma, warned that the widespread flooding across Lagos and other parts of the country could trigger outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, malaria and other waterborne and vector-borne diseases, urging residents to take extra precautions with food, drinking water and personal hygiene.
Speaking with The Guardian, Iboma said contaminated floodwaters and stagnant pools created by the heavy rainfall provide conditions for the spread of infections. He explained that flooding increases the risk of diarrhoea, cholera and typhoid fever because floodwaters often contaminate drinking water sources, while stagnant water provides breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing the likelihood of malaria outbreaks.
Iboma advised residents, especially those in flood-prone communities, to boil water before drinking or using it where its safety cannot be guaranteed, keep food properly covered to prevent contamination, and sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets or use mosquito repellents to reduce the risk of malaria.
The public health expert also cautioned residents to remain vigilant, warning that flooding could force reptiles and other dangerous animals from their natural habitats into residential areas.