The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday confirmed that 63 deaths have been recorded from the Cholera oubreak, with a total of 2,102 suspected cases as at June 30, 2024.
Thesedeaths span across 33 States and 122 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 3.0% since the beginning of the year.
Of the top 10 States including Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers and Delta contribute about 90% of the cases.
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Jide Idris, director general of the NCDC, while giving an update decried that open defecation, Inadequate toilet facilities, poor sanitation are major challenges crippling response to the outbreak
According to him, open defecation remains a significant issue, with only 123 (16%) of 774 LGAs in Nigeria declared open defecation free.
Additionally, the DG highlighted inadequate toilet facilities and poorly maintained existing ones, even in many government facilities which contribute to the problem.
“Access to safe water and proper sanitation is limited, with only 11% of schools, 6% of health facilities, and 4% of motor parks and markets having basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services”, he said
Other contributing factors include poor waste management, inadequate food, environmental, and personal hygiene practices, and a significant capacity gap among healthcare workers at the state and LGA levels”, the DG added.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease, caused by the ingestion of the organism Vibrio Cholerae in contaminated water and food.
Contamination of drinking water can occur at the source, during transportation, or during storage at home. Food may be contaminated by soiled hands, either during preparation or while eating.
