A total of 84 deaths have been reported due to cholera, while 2,860 individuals are suspected to have contracted the disease between January and August 27, 2023, as per data from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
The situation report for weeks 31 to 34, released on Wednesday, revealed that 25 states across 124 Local Government Areas reported suspected cases, with a case-fatality ratio of 2.9 per cent.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal illness caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria. People may fall ill when they ingest food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is frequently mild or asymptomatic, but it can occasionally be severe and life-threatening.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal ailment, typically occurring during the rainy season, particularly in areas with inadequate sanitation.
The cholera situation report indicated that, among the suspected cases this year, individuals below the age of five are most affected, followed by the five to 14-year-old age group, encompassing both males and females.
Furthermore, it revealed that among all the suspected cases, 51 per cent are males, and 49 per cent are females.
The states that have reported cases thus far in the country include Zamfara, Cross River, Katsina, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Niger, Abia, Jigawa, Kano, Ondo, Borno, Kaduna, Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau, and Gombe.
Additionally, there have been reports from Oyo, Adamawa, Kebbi, Benue, Rivers, Ekiti, Imo, Osun, and Anambra states.
“Zamfara (787 cases) accounts for 28 per cent of all suspected cases in the country among the 25 States that have reported cases of cholera. Obubra LGA (515 cases) in Cross River State accounts for 18% of all suspected cases reported in the country.”
“Of the affected States, Cross River (718 cases), Katsina (302 cases), Bayelsa (265 cases), Ebonyi (227 cases), Niger (136 cases), and Abia (118 cases) account for 62 per cent of the suspected cases this year,” the report conveyed.
In comparison, it mentioned that suspected cholera cases in the current year have decreased by 63 per cent compared to what was reported up to week 34 in 2022. Likewise, cumulative deaths recorded have decreased by 67 per cent in 2023.
