Ogun State
A cholera outbreak in Ogun State has resulted in the death of a 62-year-old woman, with five others hospitalized. The incident occurred in Ilebu Igbo, Ijebu North Local Government Area, four days ago. According to the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, the deceased woman contracted cholera while caring for her infected child, who is now among those hospitalized.
Kunle Ashimi, the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ogun State, acknowledged the widespread impact of cholera across 30 states, including Ogun, with at least 30 deaths nationwide. “We pray for the souls of the departed,” he said, while also confirming that the NMA is on high alert and that the government has provided a contact number for reporting new cases.
Lagos State
In Lagos State, the cholera outbreak has claimed 24 lives, with confirmed cases rising to 35 out of 417 suspected cases. Lagos Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, provided the update on June 19, noting a significant increase in both suspected and confirmed cases since the initial report on June 11. Initially, five deaths and about 60 hospitalizations were reported, but the numbers have since escalated.
Kemi Ogunyemi, Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Health, anticipated a rise in cases following the Eid-el Kabir celebration. She emphasized that the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), is actively collecting samples of water sources, food, and beverages to identify the source of contamination. Surveillance activities have been intensified in affected communities to address the situation.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently highlighted a global resurgence of cholera. From January 1, 2024, to May 26, 2024, a total of 194,897 cholera cases and 1,932 deaths were reported from 24 countries across five regions.
