Typhoid is one of the most common diseases that Nigerians are affected by. Whenever you visit a hospital with a high fever, fatigue, and headache, coupled with diarrhoea and weakness, there are high chances that you will be diagnosed with either Malaria or typhoid.
While we understand there is a misdiagnosis of typhoid cases in Nigeria, we can not underestimate the danger that typhoid poses to Nigerians.
There is much misinformation about the causes of typhoid and how to avoid it. Contaminated food and water are the major causes of typhoid, but how careful do you need to be to avoid typhoid in Nigeria?
Typhoid is caused by a type of bacteria known as Salmonella Typhi, transmitted through food and water contamination. The Nigerian community makes it easy for it to spread.
Citizens rely on public restaurants with little or no hygiene, locally made drinks and meals, living a poor hygiene culture, and a dirty environment that makes it easy to breed typhoid bacteria.
Avoiding typhoid in Nigeria might be difficult, but it is possible. To avoid typhoid, Nigerians must avoid every form of contamination and sanitize their environment at all times.
Let’s go through some practical ways to avoid typhoid in Nigeria.
Practical Ways To Avoid Typhoid In Nigeria
Here are some really crucial ways to avoid and prevent yourself from getting typhoid in Nigeria.
Avoid eating from public/street vendors
One of the easiest ways typhoid is transmitted to Nigeria is through what we eat and drink.
As a Nigerian, there is the natural urge to grab a quick plate of Amala from the woman in the next street, a plate of fufu from the closest buka, or just relax and chill with kunu or palm wine from the local kiosk.
No matter how traditionally appealing they appear, avoiding eating and drinking from public/street vendors will prevent you from contracting typhoid.
These locally made meals are exposed to a lot of germs and bacteria due to the poor environment in which they are prepared.
There are also high chances that the vegetables, salads, or fruits used to prepare those local meals were not thoroughly washed. As hard as it may sound, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to avoid them entirely.
Environmental sanitation
You can avoid typhoid by keeping your environment clean. Wash the toilet, clear the gutters, and ensure that the waste disposal system is adequately covered.
Eliminate the possibility of contact between houseflies and your food.
Personal hygiene
Little things matter. Building a personal hygiene culture can save you from much harm. Consistent cleanliness has proven to limit contact with germs and bacteria.
Wash your hands thoroughly to avoid infection. Use hand sanitizers and wash your fruits, vegetables, and the top and body of your tin food before use.
Avoid unhygienic locally processed food
Yoghurts, ice, fish, milk, etc., these locally processed foods have little or no purification procedures to ensure 100% safety for consumption.
The need to patronise indigenous products is something I can understand, but you will expose yourself to grave danger if you keep consuming contaminated foods.
You should also make sure that any raw food you consume has been properly washed and cleaned.
Vaccination
Typhoid vaccines are one of the best ways to stay safe from typhoid.
Although the Typhoid Vaccine is not rampant in all parts of Nigeria, getting scheduled doses from a certified doctor will help you avoid typhoid. Typhoid is one of the vaccine-preventable diseases in Nigeria.
Conclusion
Typhoid is one of the most prevailing endemic diseases in Nigeria. If you live in Nigeria or are planning to visit Nigeria, it is imperative that you know how to avoid typhoid in Nigeria. To prevent getting typhoid in Nigeria, you need to watch what you eat outside, wash your hands often, maintain a clean environment and drink safe water.
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