Nigeria Records 31 Deaths In Cholera Outbreak

At least 31 deaths have been recorded so far this year in a cholera break in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Wednesday

ABUJA, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Apr, 2022 ) :- At least 31 deaths have been recorded so far this year in a cholera break in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Wednesday.

The country has recorded a total of 1,359 confirmed cases of cholera from the onset in January, Jessica Akinrogbe, NCDC's senior emergency response officer, told reporters in Abuja.

Cholera is a highly virulent disease characterized in its most severe form by a sudden onset of acute watery diarrhea that can lead to death by severe dehydration.

Akinrogbe said a total of 15 states have been affected by the outbreak, noting the NCDC had already deployed rapid response teams to the states to curtail the spread.

With the approaching rainy season in the country, more efforts must be geared toward preventing recurrence.

The public health official urged the states to step up their cholera preparedness and response plan and build capacities to manage emergencies.

The health agency has been supporting states to ensure a coordinated, rapid, and effective response to the current outbreak, including the deployment of rapid response teams to support the response at the state level, provision of medical and laboratory supplies, and scale-up of risk communications among other activities.

Part of the measures so far taken by the government includes the distribution of cholera kits to hotspot local government areas, while 5,813 households received water treatment chemicals, she said, adding a total of 107 persons were trained on hygiene and sanitation promotion, water quality monitoring, water schemes operation, and maintenance, while 40 water points were chlorinated.