The World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Organization for Migration held an emergency meeting on Tuesday in Lagos State in response to the cholera outbreak affecting 30 states in Nigeria. The WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, disclosed this on his X handle.
He said, “Happening Now: @WHONigeria @UNICEF_Nigeria @IOM_Nigeria hold an emergency meeting on the emerging cholera outbreak in Lagos State. The three agencies are discussing joint @UN_Nigeria support @NCDCgov @ProfAkinAbayomi.”
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in its latest report, revealed that from January 1 to June 11, 2024, over 1,141 suspected and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths were reported from 96 LGAs in 30 states.
The Lagos State Ministry of Health, on its part, recorded 350 suspected cases of cholera in 29 wards across multiple local government areas with 17 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities attributed to severe dehydration caused by delayed presentation. The state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, revealed that the Island area of Lagos was found to be the epicenter of the outbreak, adding that 106 out of the 350 suspected cases in the state were recorded on Lagos Island.
Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by the ingestion of the bacteria— Vibrio cholera— in contaminated water and food. Symptoms of cholera include acute profuse, painless watery diarrhea (rice water stools) of sudden onset, with or without vomiting. It may be associated with nausea, profuse vomiting, and fever. Experts say severe cases of cholera can lead to death within hours due to dehydration.
However, about 80 per cent of infected people may only show mild symptoms or have no symptoms at all. In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation. The 10 states contributing 90 per cent to the current cholera outbreak burden include Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos states. So far, from January 1 to June 11, 2024, cholera cases have been reported from 96 LGAs in 30 states, according to the NCDC.
