As the rainy season peaks, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has warned that many states of the country were at risk of a Cholera Outbreak.
The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Jide Idris disclosed this at a press briefing on the current status of National Health Security held in Abuja on Friday.
“As we approach the peak of the rainy season, a concerning trend in cholera transmission is emerging. During the presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook, the Federal Government issued a warning to 30 states and the Federal Capital Territory about imminent flood risks.
“Notably, this year’s outlook introduced a community-based forecasting approach designed to enhance preparedness and early response efforts across vulnerable regions”, he said.
Dr. Idris informed that according to the forecast, over 1,200 communities in 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) have been identified as high-risk flood zones, and an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs are classified as being at moderate risk of flooding.
He added that this proactive dissemination of localized flood risk data is expected to drive coordinated action at the federal, state, and community levels, ensuring timely interventions that can help prevent waterborne disease outbreaks like cholera.
“NCDC is actively tracking these occurrences. As of epidemiological week 16 (ending 20 April 2025), 1,307 suspected cases of cholera have been reported across 30 states and 98 Local Government Areas (LGAs), with 34 associated deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 2.6%. This rate is well above our target of less than 1%”, he said.
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 feces of infected individuals. Contamination of drinking water can occur at the source, during transportation, or during storage at home. Food may be contaminated by soiled hands, either during preparation or while eating.
Beverages prepared with contaminated water and sold by street vendors, ice, and even commercial bottled water have been implicated as vehicles of transmission, as have cooked vegetables and fruits freshened with untreated waste water.
The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms (incubation period) is 2 hours to 5 days. It has a higher risk of transmission in areas that lack adequate sanitation facilities and/or a regular supply of clean water. Unsafe practices such as improper disposal of refuse and open defecation endanger the safety of water used for drinking and personal use.
People of all ages are at risk of the disease, especially those living in places with limited access to clean water, those
living in areas with poor sanitation and poor hygiene amongst others.
The DG therefore advised State Governments to prioritize action for solutions that ensure access to and use of safe water, basic sanitation, and proper hygiene practices in communities.
Furthermore, he urged them to active their Emergency Preparedness Plans to address enhanced surveillance efforts, potential flooding and displacement events, mosquito control efforts (elimination of breeding sites), establishment of Cholera treatment and ORT centers.
