Cholera: 74 dead, 7,850 cases across 14 local government areas

At least 74 people have lost their lives to the ongoing outbreak affecting 14 local government areas of Borno State, according to officials.

A statement released by the international medical humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is supporting the Borno State Ministry of Health (MoH) in responding to a rapidly escalating surge in suspected cholera cases across the state.

It indicated that more than seven thousand people have fallen ill since early May 2026, putting significant pressure on health facilities and response efforts.

“The state is experiencing a high influx of patients requiring urgent treatment, with numbers increasing each day since the first suspected case was reported on 1 May 2026.

“As of 7 June 2026, the Borno State MoH had recorded 7,850 suspected cholera cases across 14 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 50 wards, with a total of 74 deaths reported at both facility and community levels,”

The statement revealed that on 26 February 2026, MSF, in collaboration with the State MoH, established a Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) in the Ngarannam area of Maiduguri, the state capital, to aid the response. Since then, admissions have increased rapidly, prompting an expansion of bed capacity from 121 to 271, with further expansion possible. MSF also opened a new 20-bed Cholera Treatment Unit (CTU) in Dalaratheea of Maiarea.

The statement added that as of 7 June 2026, MSF had treated a total of 7,439 patients at the MSF-run CTC and CTU, with an average of 230 admissions per day. On 5 June alone, MSF received more than 500 patients with acute watery diarrhoea, the highest daily number since the response began.

“Every day, we see more people arriving with severe watery diarrhoea and dehydration, many having travelled long distances to access care,” says Bienfait Tombola, MSF project medical coordinator for the surge response in Maiduguri.

“The collaboration between the Ministry of Health, MSF and other partners has enabled a rapid scale-up of several aspects of the response, but the continued rise in cases indicates that more must be done to prevent transmission and ensure people can access treatment early.”

“While treatment is vital to save lives, a cholera vaccination campaign is planned by the Ministry of Health, which would help break the chain of transmission.

“Sustainable improvements in access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene are equally critical to reducing transmission and preventing further surges in waterborne diseases,” adds Bienfait Tombola.

BusinessDay exclusively gathered that the actual death toll is likely higher than the official figure, as many victims refused medical attention and subsequently died in the community.

Rotary Club Donates Medical Supplies and Hygiene Materials to Borno Government
Meanwhile, the Rotary Club of Maiduguri has donated medical supplies and hygiene materials to the Borno State government to bolster efforts against the ongoing cholera outbreak.

Items handed over to the Ministry of Health included IV fluids, oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, disinfectants, and protective gear for health workers.

Valued at over N1 million, this donation was presented yesterday at the State Secretariat in Maiduguri by a delegation led by the club’s president, Abdulkareem Haruna.

The initiative underscores the Rotary Club’s core mission of humanitarian service, as it seeks to support the government during this challenging period of cholera epidemics that have claimed dozens of lives and affected thousands.

Juliana Bitrus, a former health commissioner and permanent secretary at Borno State Ministry of Environment—who also heads the Club’s Foundation and Health Committee—stated that the donated medical supplies included 30 cartons of Ringer’s Lactate, two cartons of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), 1.5 cartons of giving sets, six boxes of cannulas of various sizes, one carton of hand sanitiser, two rolls of spirit, five packets of Neogloves, four rolls of cotton wool, and one customised cholera bed.