Cholera outbreak surged by 220% in 2024, says NCDC
07 October 2024 |
4:02 am
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has stated that cholera outbreak in Nigeria saw a sharp increase in 2024, with suspected cases rising by an alarming 220 per cent.
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has stated that cholera outbreak in Nigeria saw a sharp increase in 2024, with suspected cases rising by an alarming 220 per cent.
NCDC, on its official website, noted that this was according to the latest epidemiological report. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that cholera is an acute intestinal infection spread through contaminated food and water. Communities with limited access to sanitation are mostly affected.
Conflict, climate change, inadequate safe water and sanitation, poverty, underdevelopment, and population displacement due to emerging and re-emerging conflicts and disasters from natural hazards all contribute to the rise in cholera outbreaks.
The Nigerian public health agency said that by the end of Epidemiological Week 39, the country recorded 10,837 suspected cases and 359 deaths. It added that the figure represented a 239 per cent increase in fatalities compared to 2023.
According to NCDC, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) for the year stood at 3.3 per cent, slightly higher than the 3.1 per cent recorded in the previous year.
“In the past week alone, 198 new suspected cases were reported across five states, leading to 15 deaths and a weekly CFR of 7.6 per cent. The states mostly affected by the outbreak during Week 39 include Adamawa (131 cases), Ebonyi (30 cases), Borno (29 cases), Kano (seven cases), and Jigawa (one case).
“Adamawa continues to be a hotspot, with 535 suspected cases reported in the past month,” it noted. The agency said since the beginning of 2024, Lagos had reported the highest number of suspected cholera cases, contributing 43 per cent of the national total, as Lagos Island Local Council reportedly accounted for five per cent of the country’s overall cases.
“Stool cultures have been employed to monitor the situation, with 254 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) conducted, yielding 175 positive results, and 149 stool cultures, of which 103 tested positive,” it said.
It said that other states, including Jigawa, Kano, Borno and Katsina, also reported significant case numbers, highlighting the widespread nature of the outbreak.
The NCDC disclosed that children under five years old were most affected, followed by those aged between five and 14. It said the male population represented 52 per cent of the total suspected cases, with females making up 48 per cent.
The NCDC report underscores the need for continued vigilance and response efforts, as the outbreak shows no signs of slowing. The agency has activated a national multi-sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group to monitor and respond to outbreaks across states. It stressed the importance of improving sanitation, access to clean water, and public health education to curb the spread of the disease.
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