The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, (NCDC) has stated that Nigeria witnessed a significant increase of 128% in cholera cases.
According to the NCDC, Lagos State recorded 60% of all cases, with Lagos Island being the most affected LGA in the state.
The agency have revealed it via its official website, saying that as many as 7,056 suspected cases were reported as of September 1, as compared to 3,096 cases at the same point in 2023.
As at June 24, the country announced a state of emergency on cholera due to a case fatality rate of 3.5% –a high percentage well above the national expected average.
The Public Health Agency had also identified other heavily affected states to include Bayelsa, Katsina, and Zamfara states respectively.
To fight the outbreak, NCDC has said that it was intensifying rapid diagnostic testing and stool culture tests to contain the outbreak.
It also called for increased public awareness and intervention to curb the outbreak.
“Cholera fatality rates slightly improved, dropping to 2.9 percent from 3.2 per cent in 2023. Vulnerable groups, particularly children under five, remain the most affected,” the agency said.
