NCDC Issues Urgent Warning Amidst Escalating Cholera Outbreak

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued a dire warning about a surge in cholera cases sweeping across the nation, claiming 30 lives and resulting in 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed infections.

In a public advisory, Dr. Jide Idris, the Director-General of NCDC, disclosed that the alarming cases reported between January and June 11, 2024, span 96 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 30 states. The majority of the cholera burden is concentrated in ten states: Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos.

As the rainy season intensifies, Dr. Idris implored Nigerians to be vigilant against the escalating cholera threat. He highlighted a recent outbreak in Lagos State and stressed the gravity of the situation: from January 1 to June 11, 2024, a total of 1,141 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 30 tragic deaths have been documented.

PREVENTING AND ERADICATING CHOLERA

The multi-sectoral National Cholera Technical Working Group, spearheaded by the NCDC and comprising the Federal Ministries of Environment and Water Resources, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and other partners, is extending critical support to the affected regions. This comprehensive aid includes risk communication, active case search, laboratory diagnosis, case management, provision of essential response commodities, water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, and dissemination of cholera awareness messages in both English and local languages.

Cholera, Dr. Idris explained, is a harrowing food- and water-borne disease caused by ingesting the Vibrio cholerae bacterium found in contaminated water and food. The contamination often occurs through the faeces of infected individuals, compromising drinking water at its source, during transportation, or in household storage. Additionally, food can be tainted by dirty hands during preparation or consumption, with beverages from street vendors, ice, and even commercially bottled water serving as potential transmission vectors. Cooked vegetables and fruits rinsed with untreated wastewater also pose significant risks.

People of all ages living in areas with limited access to clean water are particularly vulnerable. Prevention hinges on ensuring access to safe, potable drinking water, proper sanitation, waste disposal, and rigorous hygiene practices, including frequent handwashing.

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Dr. Idris urged Nigerians to mitigate cholera risk by boiling water and storing it in clean, covered containers before drinking. He emphasised the importance of maintaining personal hygiene by regularly washing hands with soap under clean running water, ensuring food is thoroughly cooked, avoiding open defecation, and properly disposing of waste and clearing sewage regularly.