Cholera Outbreak: Casualty Rises to 63 With 2,102 Suspected Cases

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

Despite emergency interventions being spearheaded by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), death toll from cholera epidemic has risen to 63 lives

The Centre said that a total of 2,102 suspected cases and 63 deaths have been recorded across 33 states and 122 local government areas with a case fatality rate of 3.0 percent since the beginning of the year.

It said: “As of 30th June 2024, a total of 2,102 suspected cases and 63 deaths have been recorded across 33 states and 122 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 3.0% since the beginning of the year.  Of the top 10 states (Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers and Delta) that contribute about 90% of the cases, 7 of them are Southern states”.

While giving update on national cholera outbreak response, Director General of NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, said the Centre has conducted assessment of cholera readiness and preparedness capacity in 22 hotspots and high-burden states.

He said that report of gaps identified were shared with the states, so as to guide their preparedness activities before the outbreak.

Idris also said that NCDC has provided relevant guidelines, SOPs and advisories to states, with a view to guiding their technical readiness and how to respond to the outbreak

The DG further said that a National Cholera Multisectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was activated with an array of subject matter experts and providing strategic coordination to check the escalation of the water-borne disease.

According to Idris, the Emergency Operations Centre meets daily to provide periodic situation report for stakeholders.

“This also ensures effective mobilization, harmonization and distribution of resources to support the affected states. This is done through the relevant thematic areas of response that cover coordination, surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, risk communication and community engagement, water sanitation and hygiene, vaccination, logistics, research with a costed incidence action plan for the response developed and being implemented,” he said.

The DG said that prior to the activation of EOC, the NCDC, through the National Cholera Technical Working Group had carried out the following prevention and response activities including; distribution of medical supplies for case management, infection prevention, and control, laboratory diagnosis, etc. to all 36 plus one states, provision of offsite/onsite technical support to states and follow up for daily reporting and progress with response activities

Idris listed the challenges fueling the current spread cholera across the country to include; open defecation, inadequate safe water and poor sanitation, capacity gap among health workers and weak regulation.

On the issue of open defecation, the DG said that only 123 (16 percent) of 774 LGAs in Nigeria are open-defecation free, adding that more than 48 million Nigerians practice open defecation

He said that Jigawa is about the only open defecation free state in Nigeria.

Idris further attributed the cholera outbreak to inadequate toilet facilities while pointing out that existing ones even in many government facilities were not well maintained.

In addition, the NCDC DG explained that inadequate safe water and poor sanitation have contributed to the disease scourge in the country.

According to him, only 11 percent of schools, 6 percent of health facilities, and 4 percent of motor parks and markets, have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

Speaking further, Idris said that, “Poor waste management practices poor food, environmental and personal hygiene practices, capacity gap among health care workers at the state and LGA levels, weak regulation on construction of soak away and bore holes” were among the major causative factors driving the cholera disease in Nigeria.

He also said that inadequate implementation and enforcement of public nuisance law and other relevant public health laws and inadequate capacity at state level – delayed disease reporting and response action.

According to him, “Capacity gap among health care workers at the state and LGA levels, poor regulation of food vendor and commercial water supply on hygiene.

“Weak regulation on siting of boreholes and wells, which are close to sewage or toilets pathways. Low knowledge and practice of basic hygiene such as hand washing.”