The number of suspected cholera cases in Nigeria has risen to 2,809, affecting 33 states and 148 local government areas as of July 7, 2024.
Since the beginning of the year, the country has registered 82 deaths, with a fatality rate of 2.9%.
This is according to the week 27 cholera situation report issued by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday.
Cholera, a highly contagious food and waterborne disease, is caused by ingesting the bacteria Vibrio Cholerae via contaminated water or food.
The primary cause has been identified as the intake of polluted water and inadequate sanitation, which is aggravated by the arrival of the rainy season, which frequently leads to an increase in cholera cases owing to flooding and degraded water supplies.
The NCDC said, “As of July 7th, 2024, a total of 2,809 suspected cases, including 82 deaths (CFR 2.9 per cent), have been reported from 33 states. Of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, age groups <5 years are mostly affected, followed by the age groups 25 – 34 years in aggregate of both males and females. Of all suspected cases, 53% are males and 47 are females.
“Lagos (1,560 cases) accounts for 56 per cent of all suspected cases in the country of the 33 states that have reported cases of cholera. Lagos Island LGA (295 cases) in Lagos State accounts for 11 per cent of all suspected cases reported in the country.
“Other sates: Bayelsa (476 cases), Ebonyi (110), Abia (109), Katsina (88 cases), Zamfara (64 cases), Delta (64 cases), Bauchi (54 cases), Cross river (43 cases), Rivers (37 cases), Imo (28), Ogun (21), Nasarawa (19 cases), Kano (18), Ondo (17 cases), Oyo (15), Niger (15), Osun (11 cases) and Akwa Ibom (10) account for 42.7 per cent of the suspected cases this year.”
In comparison, the data stated that the number of probable cholera cases in the current year has fallen by 7% from what was recorded as of week 27 in 2023. Similarly, cumulative deaths have fallen by 5% in 2024.
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Meanwhile, Lagos had 52 deaths, Rivers eight, Abia four, Delta four, Katsina three, Bayelsa two, Kano two, Oyo two, Bauchi one, Cross River one, Ebonyi one, Nasarawa one, and Ogun one.
However, the NCDC expressed worry about the difficulties of accessing some communities due to security concerns, open defecation in affected communities, a shortage of safe drinking water in some rural regions and urban slums, and inadequate hygiene standards in the majority of cholera-affected populations.
It also complained about inadequate health facility infrastructure and cholera commodities for patient management, poor use of rapid diagnostic tests distributed to facilities and surveillance officers, insufficiently trained personnel in states for case management, and poor and inconsistent reporting from states.
