Cholera Claims 103 Lives In 34 States And FCT

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the cholera outbreak in Nigeria has claimed 103 lives from 3,623 suspected cases in 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as of July 15, 2024.

The cases and fatalities are spread throughout 187 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Zamfara states accounting for 83% of the overall illness burden.

Despite the severity, the NCDC claims a decrease in both cases and fatalities from the original outbreak in early 2024. In June, the organisation reported 30 deaths from 1,141 suspected cases, including 65 confirmed cases in 96 LGAs across 30 states. By June 21, the death toll had grown to 34 from 1,288 confirmed cases, with 53 deaths from 1,528 suspected cases by June 23.

On Tuesday, July 16, NCDC Director General Jide Idris gave an update, stating that the total case fatality rate since the year’s start is 2.8%. Five-year-old children are the most afflicted; 52% of instances involve males. Comparing the week of July 8–14 to the week prior, there was a 5.6% decrease in the number of cases reported.

Idris credited stakeholder efforts and the weather for the improvement, but she issued a warning that the outbreak’s peak might coincide with the rainy season’s high, which is still a few weeks away. He pointed out that some states were underreporting because of a lack of resources for surveillance and the political stigma attached to cholera.

The NCDC remains dedicated to addressing the outbreak by implementing a national incident action plan, increasing laboratory capacity, stockpiling cholera management materials, and training healthcare professionals. The agency has assigned national fast response teams to the six most hit states and intends to expand its efforts.

Idris stated that the NCDC would continue to coordinate the national response, with the goal of lowering the case fatality rate to less than the global target of 1%.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli