Cholera: Nigeria records 63 deaths; 2,102 suspected cases – NCDC
Nigeria has recorded a total of 2,102 suspected cases of cholera and 63 deaths from the disease across 33 states since the beginning of this year, the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said.
The director-general of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this Tuesday in Abuja while giving an update on cholera outbreak.
Dr Idris said seven of the top 10 states contributing 90 per cent of the cases were in the southern region.
The top 10 contributing states are Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers and Delta.
The NCDC director-general said the disease had spread to 122 local government areas as at June 30 with a case fatality rate of 3.0 per cent since the beginning of the year.
He said the National Cholera Multisectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), which has been activated, comprised an array of subject matter experts providing strategic coordination.
He said the EOC met daily to provide periodic situation reports for stakeholders, ensuring effective mobilisation, harmonisation and distribution of resources to support the affected states.
Dr Idris further said response efforts covered various thematic areas, including coordination, surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, water sanitation and hygiene, vaccination, logistics and research. A costed Incidence Action Plan for the response has been developed and is being implemented.
According to him, the challenges contributing to the outbreak include open defecation, inadequate access to safe water, poor sanitation, weak regulation on the construction of soak-aways and boreholes, and capacity gaps among health care workers at the state level.
He also mentioned that the inadequate implementation and enforcement of public nuisance laws, low knowledge and practice of basic hygiene, such as handwashing and the effects of climate change and flooding exacerbated the situation.
Idris highlighted that only 123 (16%) of Nigeria’s 774 local government areas were open defecation-free, with Jigawa being the only open defecation-free state in the country.
More than 48 million Nigerians still practice open defecation, he added.
Kogi sets up response team Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has confirmed two cases of cholera outbreak in Lokoja and Omala local government areas.
This was disclosed by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr Abdulazeez Adeiza in Lokoja on Tuesday.
Dr Adeiza stated that efforts were being intensified to contain the spread of the disease, with ongoing awareness campaigns across the state.