The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s statistics show that from January to August 27, 2023, there were 84 confirmed cases of cholera, and 2,860 people are suspected to have been infected.
According to the status report for weeks 31 to 34, which was published on Wednesday, 25 states and 124 Local Government Areas reported suspected cases, with a case-fatality ratio of 2.9%.
The Vibrio cholerae bacterium is what causes the acute diarrheal disease cholera. When people consume food or water that has cholera germs in it, they risk becoming ill. Although the illness frequently has no symptoms or is quite moderate, it can occasionally be serious and even fatal.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic, seasonal illness that typically manifests during the rainy season and more frequently in unhygienic locations.
According to the cholera status report, age groups under five are the most commonly impacted by suspected cases since the start of the year, followed by age groups five to 14 years, including both men and females.
Additionally, it revealed that 51% of all suspected cases are male and 49% are female.
States with reported the cases are:
- Zamfara
- Cross River
- Katsina
- Bayelsa
- Ebonyi
- Niger
- Abia
- Jigawa
- Kano
- Ondo
- Borno
- Kaduna
- Bauchi
- Sokoto
- Plateau
- Gombe
- Oyo
- Adamawa
- Kebbi
- Benue
- Rivers
- Ekiti
- Imo
- Osun
- Anambra state.
According to the report:
“Zamfara (787 cases) accounts for 28 per cent of all suspected cases in the country of the 25 States that have reported cases of cholera. Obubra LGA (515 cases) in Cross River State accounts for 18% of all suspected cases reported in the country.
“Of the affected States, Cross River (718 cases), Katsina (302 cases), Bayelsa (265 cases), Ebonyi (227 cases), Niger (136 cases) and Abia (118 cases) account for 62 per cent of the suspected cases this year,”
In comparison, it said that the number of probable cholera cases in the current year had fallen by 63% when compared to what was recorded as week 34 in 2022. Similarly, the total number of deaths reported has dropped by 67% in 2023.
cc: Punch Ng
