It’s been 11 days since the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) confirmed a cholera outbreak in parts of the country, including Lagos State.
Here’s what we know so far as death and infection toll rises.
What’s the current situation?
On Wednesday, June 19, the Director General of the NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris, said the agency is actively monitoring the situation and might declare an emergency if the outbreak becomes unmanageable.
Earlier, the agency, in a public health advisory published on Wednesday, June 12, said Nigeria recorded 1,141 suspected cholera cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 14 deaths across 96 local governments in 30 states from January 1 to June 11. Ten states contributed 90% of the total numbers: Abia, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Imo, Katsina, Nasarawa, and Lagos.
In Lagos, Special Adviser to the governor on health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, revealed that the state’s cholera cases increased from 15 to 21, while infections rose from 350 to 401.
Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker, confirmed the death of a 62-year-old woman, while five victims have been hospitalised. Kunle Ashimi, chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (Ogun chapter), said the association is on high alert and monitoring the situation in the state.
The Oyo State government issued a health alert on June 13 following two suspected cases in Ibadan, but there have been no further reported cases. The state’s Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, assured residents that there’s no cause for alarm as the ministry and other health agencies are monitoring the situation.
What’s the current strain?
The current outbreak is associated with the cholera subtype known as Serovar O1. Lagos State’s Health Commissioner, Akin Abayomi, warned that the identified strain is “highly aggressive and contagious, with potential for widespread dissemination.”
Support from international bodies
The World Health Organisation, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Organisation for Migration have lent their support to the ongoing cholera outbreak in Nigeria.
In a post shared on X, Walter Mulombo, WHO country representative, revealed that the international bodies held an emergency meeting on Tuesday, June 18, to discuss joint support for the NCDC.
FG begins water quality analysis
The Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has kicked off a round of water quality analysis to control the cholera outbreak.
Permanent Secretary Aliyu Shinkafi said on Thursday, June 20, that teams from the National Water Quality Reference Laboratories in Lagos, Enugu, and Sokoto have been tasked with collecting water samples to investigate the presence of Vibrio cholera.
“Additionally, the ministry is coordinating with State Technical Working Groups and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agencies (RUWASSAs) through the WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group (WiETWG) to address the outbreak comprehensively.”
Are tiger nuts and zobo contributing factors?
Following the outbreak, there have been speculations on social media that contaminated tiger nut drinks may be responsible for the cholera outbreak.
However, Biodun Ogunniyi, an epidemiologist with the NCDC, said the agency is about to embark on a case-control study to ascertain the situation and dispel rumours about the drinks.
Who are those at risk of infection?
According to the NCDC health advisory, people most at risk include:
- People of all ages living in places with limited access to clean water
- People living in areas with poor sanitation and poor hygiene
- People living in slum areas where basic water or sanitation infrastructure is missing
- People living in rural areas who depend on surface water or unsafe piped or borehole water sources for drinking
- People who consume potentially contaminated food or fruits without washing and cooking properly
- People who do not perform hand hygiene at appropriate times
- Relatives who care for sick people with cholera at home
Hotlines
Report suspected cholera cases in Lagos to the following emergency contacts: 08023169485 and 08137412348.
You can also dial the NCDC toll-free line 6232.
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