Nigeria authorities declare national emergency as Cholera crisis grips 

NIGERIA – Nigerian authorities have declared a national emergency and activated response operations to control the spread of a severe cholera outbreak that has claimed over 50 lives so far. 

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) made the decision to activate the National Cholera Emergency Operation Center after a risk assessment showed the country was at high risk of the disease, with a fatality rate of 3.5% among the over 1,500 recorded cases. 

“Having considered all the details available, there’s still an increasing trend of suspected cases nationwide. We’ve seen more cases in more states than we did last year,” said Jide Idris, director general of the NCDC. 

The outbreak has hit Nigeria’s largest city and economic hub, Lagos, the hardest.  

National health authorities say they will work with affected state authorities to ensure rapid case detection, analysis and management. 

The latest outbreak comes as the European Union has pledged millions to help fund vaccine production in Africa, which currently depends on imports for over 90% of its vaccine doses. 

However, the NCDC has stated that Nigeria currently has no cholera vaccines and is waiting for fresh supplies.

Public health analyst Chukwunonso Umeh praised the government’s decision to declare an emergency, noting the “virulent level is very high” and the “rate at which it is being transmitted is also higher.”  

He attributed the threat to socioeconomic problems, stating that “cholera is a hygiene-related disease” and that “with the current hardship in the country, people are struggling… there are a lot of risk factors that people are being exposed to.” 

Cholera is a seasonal disease in Nigeria, and authorities warn the impact could worsen with the rainy season. 

The disease spreads through contaminated food and water, causing severe diarrhea and death if not treated.

In 2018, Nigeria recorded 830 deaths from more than 42,000 cases of cholera — the highest numbers in recent years.  

With the current outbreak, the government’s swift action to declare a national emergency and mobilize a coordinated response is crucial to containing the spread and saving lives. 

For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook