The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised alarm over the increasing trend of cholera cases across the country as the raining season intensifies, adding that there had been a total of 1,141 suspected cases since the year began.
NCDC announced this in a statement issued on Thursday, June 13, 2024.
The agency informed that an outbreak of the disease was reported in Lagos State recently.
Also, from the 1st of January to the 11th of June 2024, a total of 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera with 30 deaths were reported from 96 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 30 States.
NCDC further disclosed that the 10 states that contributed 90% to the burden of cholera in the country included Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa and Lagos States.
According to the statement, “the multi-sectoral National Cholera Technical Working Group, led by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and comprising the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency
(NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, has been providing support to the affected states.
“This support includes risk communication, active case search, laboratory diagnosis, case management, provision of response commodities, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, and
dissemination of Cholera awareness jingles in both English and local languages”.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease, caused by the ingestion of the organism Vibrio Cholerae in contaminated water and food. Water is usually contaminated by the faeces of
infected individuals.
The disease can be prevented through ensuring access to safe, portable drinking water; proper sanitation and waste disposal; and appropriate hygiene including hand washing. Raw fruits and
vegetables, food from street vendors, and raw or undercooked seafood should be avoided.
