The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Jide Idris, has said a total of 2,102 suspected cholera cases and 63 deaths have been recorded across 33 states and 122 local government areas in the country.
Idris announced this in Abuja on Tuesday while providing an update on the war against the cholera epidemic. The National Youth Service Corps has implemented tight camp restrictions with the start of the 2024 Batch B Stream ‘I’ orientation course.
The orientation course runs for 21 days, equipping, and training the eligible participants of the one-year mandatory service.
To ensure a successful programme, the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig. Gen. Yushau Ahmed has issued strict instructions to camp coordinators and officials to prevent the outbreak of cholera in orientation camps nationwide.
Cholera, a highly infectious food and waterborne disease, is caused by ingesting the bacteria Vibrio Cholerae from contaminated water and food.
Nigeria is experiencing a significant cholera outbreak, with the cases increasing from over 1,579 suspected cases and 54 deaths in 32 states to 2,102 cases and 63 deaths in 33 states within one week.
The outbreak has notably affected Lagos, Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, and Nasarawa.
The primary cause has been linked to the consumption of contaminated water and inadequate sanitation, exacerbated by the onset of the rainy season, which often leads to increased cholera cases due to flooding and compromised water sources.
Briefing journalists on the measures deployed against the outbreak, Idris put the case fatality rate at 3.0 per cent.
He said seven of the top 10 states of Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers and Delta, which contributed about 90 per cent of the cases were southern states.
