Dr. Jide Idris, Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, blamed the country’s cholera outbreak on poor sanitation, personal and environmental hygiene, and a lack of access to clean water.
Idris, speaking on Channels Television on Saturday, stated that the agency is doing a risk assessment and has notified all states about the outbreak.
Cholera is a disease transmitted by food and water that is caused by the bacteria Vibrio cholerae.
The NCDC cautioned the public about the rising number of cholera cases across the country as the rainy season intensifies.
From January 1st to June 11th, 2024, the centre recorded 1,141 suspected and 65 confirmed cases of cholera, with 30 deaths from 96 LGAs in 30 states.
It was reported that the ten states that supplied 90% of the cholera load were Bayelsa, Zamfara, Abia, Cross River, Bauchi, Delta, Katsina, Imo, Nasarawa, and Lagos states.
In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease that occurs primarily during the rainy season and more frequently in places with poor sanitation.
In 2022, WHO received 473,000 reports of cholera cases, more than double the amount from 2021. Cases are expected to increase by 700,000 in 2023.
As of April, the World Health Organisation reported 145,900 cholera cases and 1,766 deaths from 24 countries across five WHO regions, with the African Region having the highest number, followed by the Eastern Mediterranean Region, the Region of the Americas, the South-East Asia Region, and the European Region.
“To me, it’s a disease that’s bordering on basic sanitation. My observation is that prevention is very weak, which also bolsters your point that we seem to have forgotten the need for prevention or that we’re not taking it very seriously. And in a situation where resources are limited, I think that’s the best approach.
“If you go back to this cholera case, it’s a problem of poor sanitation, both personal and environmental; it’s a problem of lack of access to water. The easiest way to maintain good personal hygiene is to wash your hands, especially after using the toilet and before you cook your food.
“But in a situation where you tell people to do hand washing and there’s no access to water, it’s a problem. So, I think everybody, including the federal government, the state government, different agencies, local governments, even the people themselves, the community, has to come around.”
The DG stated that state governments must ensure that their populations have access to clean water and sanitation facilities.
The former Lagos State Health Commissioner emphasised the importance of training more environmental officers to ensure compliance with environmental legislation and standards.
“I know there are many schools of health technology where these categories of workers are produced. But more importantly, I think, it’s also related to the issue of funding for the health sector. You have very poor funding, and human resources are getting worse. That’s the reality everywhere, at different levels.
“Something needs to be done, because it’s the same people that have to do this work, and the other thing is ourselves. We need to have positive health-seeking behaviour because there’s a limit to what the government can do. If we do not take our health very seriously, We need to change our behaviour.”
However, he mentioned that the agency is assisting the states to respond to the outbreak.
“We’re sending people out now to do a rapid assessment. You have some experts who go to the States and assess their capabilities to manage the situation, what gaps they have, and what facets they have. Based on that, we determine how to assist.
“Meanwhile, we’ve sent out materials to different states, including what they need to use, IV fluids for people having diarrhoea, what they need to test, rapid test kits, and the Minister (the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate) is about to provide the necessary cholera vaccine. But each state has to be responsible for its activities.”
He emphasised that all hands must be on deck to combat the epidemic across the country. He also stated that the current government is targeting the health sector to combat illness outbreaks in the country.
