Cholera outbreak kills 50 people in Nigeria

Nigeria: At least 50 individuals have been killed in a presumed cholera outbreak this year in Nigeria, local health authorities affirmed on Tuesday.

In the whole world, the second wave of the Corona pandemic is wreaking havoc, while on the other hand, the outbreak of suspected cholera in Nigeria has created havoc. The IANS, quoting the news agency Xinhua, has reported that at least 50 people have died in Nigeria this year due to a suspected cholera outbreak. According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, some eight states of the country reported suspected cholera outbreaks.

Chikwe Ihekwazu (Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC) chief in Abuja told reporters that as of 28 March, 2.9 per cent of the 1,746 cases have died due to the disease, with 50 deaths. The NCDC is closely monitoring the situation. The states of Nasarawa, Sokoto, Kogi, Beleza, Gombe, Jamphara, Delta and Benue in Nigeria have reported this suspected disease. The outbreak of the disease remains constant in Nigeria.

According to the report, the disease usually occurs in the rainy season in Nigeria. The outbreak is more prevalent in places with excess dirt, congestion, clean food and water scarcity. It spreads in open defecation sites. Earlier in the year 2018, the NCDC (Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC) had confirmed more than 16 thousand cholera cases across the country. After this, efforts were made by the government to eradicate the disease.

On 20 November 2019, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari approved an executive order to eliminate open defecation by 2025 for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While signing the document, Buhari had also declared a state of emergency on Nigeria’s water supply, sanitation and clean area. He said that this initiative would reduce the disease’s outbreak spreading in many parts of the country.

Africa is already in a marginalized condition, and these outbreaks will definitely deteriorate the lives of people.

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