Cholera: Death toll rises to 37 as Lagos records 401 cases

•FG orders water analysis as outbreak spreads in Lagos, Ogun

•Osun, C’River activate emergency response, five hospitalised

No fewer than 37 deaths have been recorded in the current Cholera outbreak, which has hit 30 states, including Lagos and Ogun.

The Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, in a statement on Thursday by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, said the state had recorded an additional six cholera deaths as against the previous 15.

She said cholera cases had risen to 401 in the state.

On her part, the Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, told one of our correspondents that the state had recorded one death and 14 cases.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in its recent report, said from January 1 to June 11, 2024, over 1,141 suspected and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths, had been reported from 96  local government areas in 30 states.

With the six additional deaths in Lagos, and one death in Ogun,  the fatalities are no fewer than 37.

The PUNCH had on Monday reported that the resumption of schools on Wednesday after the Sallah holiday could fuel the spread of the disease.

On Tuesday, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Organisation for Migration held an emergency meeting in Lagos over the cholera outbreak in the country.

Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by ingesting the bacteria— Vibrio cholerae— in contaminated water and food. Cholera can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea, and the severe forms of the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.

In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation.

Lagos cases

Giving the situation report in Lagos on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health,  Ogunyemi, stated that Lagos Island remained the epicentre of the outbreak.

The special adviser, who stated this in the statement by the Director of Public Affairs in the state Ministry of Health,  Ogunbanwo, recalled in the last update, that the state recorded 350 cases and 15 deaths.

The statement partly read, “Following the last update on the cholera outbreak in Lagos, which reported 350 suspected cases and 15 fatalities, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 401 across Lagos, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recording the highest numbers.

“Dr Ogunyemi revealed this today while providing an update on the outbreak after meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre. She added that the death toll had also risen to 21, an increase of six from the previously reported 15 fatalities.”

According to Ogunyemi, the rise in cases was anticipated following the Sallah festivities, during which large gatherings occurred.

She, however, noted that suspected cases were subsiding across local government areas, particularly in previously affected LGAs due to the state government’s interventions and surveillance efforts.

The Special Adviser stated that the government, through the Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, was maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned programmes and activities to curb the spread.

She advised that citizens seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free of charge at all public health facilities

In Ogun State,  a 62-year-old woman in Ijebu-Igbo has died of cholera.

Our correspondent gathered that the outbreak which occurred three days ago, also left five other persons hospitalised.

The deceased, it was gathered contracted the disease from her son who is now among those hospitalised.

The state commissioner for Health,  Coker confirmed the incident to one of our correspondents on Thursday.

Coker said 14 cases of cholera had been reported from four local government areas; Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode and Ijebu North.

According to her, five other persons had also been hospitalised.

She stated, “A 62-year-old lady who contracted cholera from her sick son died in Ijebu Igbo. Five others have also been hospitalised across four local government areas of Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode, and Ijebu North

“The cumulative total cases since last week are 14 with one fatality”, Coker said.

She urged residents of the state to maintain good hygiene and avoid drinking water from unknown sources.

“I want to call on Ogun people to keep calm and be on the alert for anyone with the symptoms of cholera. They should report any suspected case of cholera to our disease surveillance team”, Coker said.

Water analysis

She said this as the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, on Thursday, said it had initiated a water quality analysis following the outbreak of cholera in 30 states.

The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday.

Shinkafi said the move was necessary following continued reports of outbreaks in many parts of the country.

He said the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, in response, had embarked on water analysis.

“In response to the outbreak, teams from the National Water Quality Reference Laboratories in Lagos, Enugu, and Sokoto have been dispatched to collect water samples and investigate the presence of Vibrio cholerae in the affected areas.

“Additionally, the ministry is coordinating with State Technical Working Groups and Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agencies through the WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group to address the outbreak comprehensively,” Shinkafi said.

He said before the outbreak, the National WASH in Emergency Technical Working Group had already trained state working groups on preparedness, prevention, and response strategies, as well as hygiene promotion and water safety planning.

These states, he said, had intensified their community sensitisation efforts to reduce cholera cases and are promoting campaigns against open defecation, a known transmission route for the disease.

He however urged Nigerians to take precautions to protect themselves and their families by boiling or treating drinking water before consumption.

On Thursday, the Commissioner for Health in Cross River State, Dr Henry Ayuk, said the state had activated an emergency response team to respond to any threat of cholera outbreak in the state.

The commissioner made this known in an interview with NAN Calabar.

He said although the state had not witnessed any cholera cases since the current outbreak was reported, there was one recorded death associated with cholera around March 2024.

He added that “there was an outbreak of the disease in Obubura and Biase local government areas between February and April, with one death recorded during the outbreak.

“That was about the only time we had a case of cholera outbreak in this state.”

The Osun State Government also said it had intensified sensitisation among the residents to prevent the outbreak of cholera in the state.

The state Commissioner for Health, Jola Akintola, while addressing the concerns about possible outbreak due to the large movement of people into the state during the festive period, highlighted measures put in place by the government to prevent the outbreak of the disease.

Giving an update about efforts to prevent the cholera outbreak in Osun, Akintola, in an interview with The PUNCH, said his ministry had intensified sensitisation, especially at motor parks and markets across the state.

He further said, “No suspected case of cholera in Osun till now, not to talk of a confirmed case. We have fliers everywhere and outreaches were being organised in some public places like moto parks and markets.

“But as we speak, we have not recorded any suspected case. The essence of the outreaches I spoke about earlier is to educate our people on what they must do to prevent the outbreak of the disease.”

Meanwhile, a non-governmental organisation, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa has urged state governments to address the underlying issues to curb the spread of cholera.

In a statement by its Media and Communications Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA noted that as the outbreak ravages, state authorities had been quick to issue safety guidelines and precautionary measures, but underlying issues needed to be addressed.

“Cholera is an infectious disease that causes diarrhoea and severe dehydration and is typically spread through unsafe water and food contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae.

“The disease, even though preventable, is particularly vicious in areas where sanitary facilities are insufficient, and the availability of safe water supply is inadequate. As such, the resolution to controlling cholera lies in the effective management of public water and sanitation systems,” CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi said.