Cholera claims 103 lives in 34 states and FCT

The cholera outbreak in Nigeria has resulted in 103 de@ths from 3,623 suspected cases across 34 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as of July 15, 2024, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

The cases and fatalities span 187 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Ebonyi, Katsina, and Zamfara states accounting for 83% of the total disease burden.

Despite the severity, the NCDC reports a decline in both cases and fatalities compared to the initial outbreak in early 2024. In June, the agency noted 30 deaths from 1,141 suspected cases, with 65 confirmed cases across 96 LGAs in 30 states. By June 21, the numbers had risen to 34 deaths from 1,288 confirmed cases, and further increased to 53 deaths from 1,528 suspected cases by June 23.

NCDC Director General, Jide Idris, provided an update on Tuesday, July 16, revealing that the cumulative case fatality rate since the beginning of the year stands at 2.8%. Children aged five are the most affected, with males accounting for 52% of the cases. However, there was a 5.6% decline in cases reported from July 8 to 14 compared to the previous week.

Idris attributed the improvement to stakeholder efforts and weather conditions, but cautioned that the peak of the outbreak could coincide with the peak of the rainy season, which is still weeks away. He noted underreporting from some states due to inadequate surveillance resources and the political stigma associated with cholera.

The NCDC remains committed to combating the outbreak, implementing a national incident action plan, enhancing laboratory capacities, prepositioning cholera management supplies, and training healthcare workers. The agency has deployed national rapid response teams to the six most affected states and plans to expand these efforts.

Idris assured that the NCDC will continue to lead the coordination of the national response, aiming to reduce the case fatality rate to below the global target of 1%.