According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, 429 suspected cases of cholera, including 17 deaths, were recorded in the country in 2023.
The NCDC reported cases from 11 states and 24 local government areas in its latest Cholera epidemiological report for week four (January 2-29), which was posted on its official website.
According to the statement, as of January 29, 2023, a total of 429 suspected cases, including 17 deaths (CFR 4.0%), had been reported from 11 states.
It explained, “Of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, the age group 0- 5 years is the most affected age group for males and females.”
According to the statement, 51 percent of all suspected cases are males and 49 percent are females. Cross River State (242 cases), Ebonyi State (86 cases), Niger State (38 cases), Abia State (35 cases), and Ondo State (10 cases) account for 96% of all cumulative cases.
More than five cases of the disease have been reported this year in 15 LGAs across nine states, including Ebonyi (4), Cross River (3), Ondo (2), Bayelsa (1), Abia (1), Katsina (1), Sokoto (1), Niger (1), and Zamfara (1). (1).
The agency bemoaned the difficulty in accessing some communities due to security concerns, open defecation in affected communities, a lack of potable drinking water in some rural areas and urban slums, poor hygiene practices in most cholera-affected communities, and insufficient health facility infrastructure and cholera commodities.
To combat the disease’s spread, it stated that it would continue training on cholera surveillance and hotspot mapping, as well as develop state-level preparedness and response plans.
