The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed alarming figures in the ongoing cholera outbreak, with 14,237 reported cases and 378 deaths across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT ).
This was revealed by the agency’s Director General, Jide Idris, on Thursday while updating the press on infectious disease outbreaks in Abuja.
He noted the fatalities represent a case fatality ratio of 2.7%.
The DG said, The burden of this outbreak disproportionately affects the most vulnerable – children under the age of five.
“The floods in the northern states such as Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe, and Kano have exacerbated the spread of cholera, making these states the current epicentres of the outbreak”.
Despite forecasts indicating a moderate caseload, Idris said NCDC is taking proactive measures to ensure preparedness and has deployed rapid response teams to affected states, providing critical supplies such as medicines, water purification tablets, and diagnostic tools.
He added that they have also supported reactive cholera vaccinations in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps and conducted high-level advocacy visits to engage with state health leadership and support communities.
So far, more than 400 healthcare workers across nine states have received training in case management and cerebrospinal fluid collection, crucial skills for accurate diagnosis and effective treatment of CSM.
Sadly, the agency has also recorded 102 confirmed cases of Mpox, 1,018 confirmed Lassa fever cases with 172 deaths.
According to Idris, the NCDC has scaled up response activities to combat the spread of infectious diseases across the country.
