Friday, December 6, 2024

Cholera outbreak in Nigeria sees alarming 220% increase in suspected cases

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The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) says the cholera outbreak in Nigeria saw a sharp increase in 2024, with suspected cases increasing by an alarming 220 percent.

The NCDC, on its official website, said this was according to the latest epidemiological report.

The Public Health Agency of Nigeria said that at the end of epidemiological week 39, the country had recorded 10,837 suspected cases and 359 deaths.

He said the figure represented a 239 percent increase in deaths compared to 2023.

It said the case fatality rate (CFR) for the year stood at 3.3 per cent, slightly higher than the 3.1 per cent recorded the previous year.

“In the last week alone, 198 new suspected cases were reported in five states, resulting in 15 deaths and a weekly case fatality rate of 7.6 percent.

Cholera spreads across the states

“The states most affected by the outbreak during week 39 include Adamawa (131 cases), Ebonyi (30 cases), Borno (29 cases), Kano (7 cases) and Jigawa (1 case).

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“Adamawa remains a hotspot, with 535 suspected cases reported last month,” he said.

The agency said that since the beginning of 2024, Lagos State had reported the highest number of suspected cholera cases, contributing 43 percent of the national total.

He said the Lagos Island Local Government Area (LGA) accounted for five per cent of the country's total cases.

“Lagos Island LGA is particularly affected and contributes five percent of all suspected cases nationwide.

“Stool cultures have been used to monitor the situation, with 254 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) carried out, which returned 175 positive results, and 149 stool cultures, of which 103 were positive,” he said.

He said other states including Jigawa, Kano, Borno and Katsina had also reported significant numbers of cases, highlighting the widespread nature of the outbreak.

“Jigawa recorded 870 cases, Kano recorded cases and Borno recorded 588 cases,” he said.

The NCDC revealed that children under five years of age were the most affected, followed by those between five and 14 years of age.

He said the male population accounted for 52 percent of the total suspected cases, while women accounted for 48 percent.

The NCDC report underscores the need for continued surveillance and response efforts as the outbreak shows no signs of slowing down.

What the NCDC is doing to reduce the spread

The agency said it has activated a national multi-sector Cholera Technical Working Group to monitor and respond to outbreaks in all states.

He highlighted the importance of improving sanitation, access to clean water and public health education to curb the spread of the disease.

“Efforts are underway to strengthen health systems and improve surveillance in high-risk areas,” he said.

The agency urged the public to report suspected cases of cholera and adhere to preventive measures, including proper handwashing and safe food handling, to reduce transmission.

Meanwhile, according to the NCDC, in communities affected by the outbreak of the infectious disease, open defecation is a common practice.

He said the practice continued to pose a challenge to the country's efforts to curb the spread of cholera.

The agency also highlighted poor access to clean water, sanitation and WASH supplies.

He said the lack of drinking water in some rural areas and urban slums; and water shortages that led to dependence on people selling water in jerry cans were also responsible for the spread,

“There is also inadequate WASH infrastructure and supplies, including wastewater management facilities,” he said.

The NCDC also said that shortage of qualified personnel in states was impeding efforts to ensure effective case management.

Challenges faced by NCDC in curbing the spread of cholera

As part of the challenges affecting the effort to curb the spread, the agency highlighted the absence of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials at the community level.

He also cited poor access to consumables and supplies for case management.

“There are no IEC materials at the community level, inadequate consumables and supplies for case management, inadequate logistics for active case finding, hence insufficient active case finding in communities,” the report reads.

With cholera cases already far exceeding last year's numbers, there is growing concern that the outbreak could worsen if immediate action is not taken.

Public health experts call for better intervention strategies and continued community engagement to combat this deadly disease.

For more information and updates on the cholera situation, the public is encouraged to visit the NCDC website or contact the toll-free helpline.

Global spread of cholera

Meanwhile, cholera outbreaks in the Middle East, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are spreading around the world and becoming deadlier.

Deaths from diarrheal diseases soared last year, far outpacing the rise in cases, according to a new analysis from the World Health Organization.

Although cholera is easy to prevent and costs little to treat, large outbreaks have overwhelmed even well-prepared health systems in countries that have not faced the disease in years.

Globally, the number of cholera deaths reported last year increased by 71 percent compared to 2022, while reported cases increased by 13 percent.

The WHO report attributed much of the increase to conflict and climate change.

About cholera

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection that is transmitted through contaminated food and water. Communities with limited access to sanitation are the most affected.

Conflict, climate change, lack of clean water and sanitation, poverty, underdevelopment and population displacement due to conflict and emerging and re-emerging disasters due to natural hazards contribute to the increase in cholera outbreaks.

(YAYA)

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