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Nigeria Faces Worst Cholera Outbreak

cholera nigeria
A rural area in Nigeria (Source: Medium)

Nigeria is facing the worst outbreak of cholera in years with nearly 70,000 cases recorded in 25 states as of September 5, reports say. According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) children from ages 5 to 14 are mostly affected and states in the North account for 98% of the cases.

Driving the News: Since early 2020, governments have shifted focus to the COVID-19 pandemic which has killed 2,647 people as of September 17 in Nigeria, while cholera accounts for more than 2,300 deaths this year in a country crippled by health care challenges.

Why it is happening: “What is driving the infections is lack of good sanitary conditions in our villages and open defecation, aggravated by heavy rainfall,” said Ali Inname, commissioner for health in Sokoto State where 23 persons have died of cholera.