In 7 months, 91 suspected cholera deaths recorded in Nigeria
The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports that since January, there have been 91 suspected cholera deaths in Nigeria.
The center reported 3,612 suspected cases and 91 suspected deaths between January and July in its most recent report on the disease in the nation.
Data from June showed a substantial increase in cholera cases and fatalities, according to DiasporaInfo.
The World Health Organization (WHO) describes cholera as an acute diarrheal infection brought on by consuming water or food tainted with the bacterium vibrio cholerae.
If untreated, it can kill within hours.
To stop and manage the spread of cholera and other waterborne diseases, it is essential to provide safe water and sanitation.
Cholera has been a health issue in Nigeria for a long time due to the fact that the vast majority of its citizens lack access to clean water and poor sanitation standards. An estimate from 2010 said that the illness claimed 1,500 lives in Nigeria.
That year, it expanded from the nation to Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Benin.
Within eight months in 2021, 2,035 people died from the illness in 23 states.
In 305 local government areas (LGAs) in 23 states and the FCT, there were 58,698 suspected cases over the course of eight months, according to a report that cited the NCDC.
However, the trend in 2022, which showed 3,612 suspected cases and 91 suspected deaths in seven months, indicates a sharp decline from the earlier years.
According to a report, the NCDC has received about N16 billion for disease control since COVID-19 first emerged in 2020.
While 31 states and 190 local government areas (LGAs) recorded cases this year, according to NCDC data, case fatality was 2.5%.
According to a breakdown of the data by month, the nation reported 951 cases and 26 suspected fatalities in January. In 20 states and 47 LGAs, there were instances documented in that month, with a death rate of 2.7%.
The country reported seven fatalities from 606 suspected cases in February. 26 LGAs reported instances coming from 21 states. With a fatality rate of 1.2% in that month, the nation had the lowest rate of the disease.
March saw the fewest cases among the seven months. Seven suspected deaths were recorded out of the 202 cases. As case mortality was 3.5%, only 22 LGAs from seven states reported cases.
411 incidents were reported in April by 22 LGAs from seven different states, 14 of which were deaths that were suspected. 4.4% of cases were fatal for the month.
The fewest suspected deaths occurred in May and June, six each. In both months, there were 392 and 475 suspected cases, respectively.
In May, 28 LGAs across 12 states reported cases; in June, 30 LGAs across 13 states did the same. For the two months, there were 1.5% and 3% case fatalities, respectively.
The biggest number of suspected cases and fatalities—575 and 25, respectively—occurred in July. There were 69 LGAs that reported cases in 16 states. 4.3% of the month’s deaths were fatal.
Only five of the 36 states in the nation—Yobe, Ogun, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Edo—did not register any cases.
The FCT was not listed by the NCDC as having cases.
