NCDC, States Present Conflicting Cholera Data

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that 2,102 suspected cases of cholera and 63 deaths have been recorded across 33 States and 122 local government areas (LGAs) in the country.

However, some states named by NCDC have told LEADERSHIP Weekend that they have recorded no cholera outbreak, as the agency claims.

States whose health commissioners and other state officials denied cholera cases include Plateau, Taraba, Abia, Benue, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Jigawa, Kwara, Enugu, Niger, Borno, Delta, Kano and Kaduna.

Director-general of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, who disclosed this at a media conference on cholera outbreak response update in Abuja, said Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers and Delta are among the 10 top states that contribute about 90 per cent of the cases.

He said, “As of 30th June 2024, a total of 2,102 suspected cases and 63 deaths have been recorded across 33 States and 122 LGAs with a case fatality rate of 30 per cent since the beginning of the year.  Seven of the top 10 States (Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers and Delta) that contribute about 90 per cent of the cases are Southern States.”

The DG identified inadequate toilet facilities, poor sanitation and inadequate safe water as factors militating against cholera eradication in the country.

He said: “Only 123 (16%) of 774 LGAs in Nigeria are open defecation-free, with Jigawa being the only open defecation-free state in Nigeria—more than 48 million Nigerians practice open defecation.

‘Inadequate toilet facilities and existing ones, even in many government facilities, must be better maintained. Inadequate Safe water and poor sanitation: 11 per cent of schools, 6 per cent of health facilities, 4 per cent of motor parks and markets have access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.”

Dr Idris also listed poor waste management practices, poor Food, environmental, and personal hygiene practices, and a capacity gap among healthcare workers at the state and LGA levels as challenges.

However, he said the recently activated National Cholera Multisectoral Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) provided strategic coordination.

He said this is done through the relevant thematic areas of response, which cover coordination, surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, risk communication, and community engagement.

Others are Water Sanitation and Hygiene, vaccination, logistics, and research. A costed incidence action plan for the response is being developed and implemented.

Dr. Idris said these will help facilitate rapid communication, data analysis, and decision-making.

 Ogun State’s Confirms 79 Cases

On Friday, the Ogun State government confirmed that the cumulative number of cholera cases in the state’s ten local government areas is 44.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, who spoke with LEADERSHIP WEEKEND on the Situation Report (SITREP) on the disease outbreak in the state, also confirmed that the cumulative number of contacts as of Thursday stood at 79. At the same time, only one person was still recorded as the total number of deaths from the pandemic.

The Commissioner explained that two additional Local Government Areas, Sagamu and Ado Odo—Ota, were the new council areas where operatives of the state’s Disease Surveillance Controls uncovered the latest cases.

She listed the 10 Local Government Areas currently experiencing the cholera epidemic to include: Remo North (3 patients); Ado Odo-Ota (4); Odeda (3); Sagamu (7); Ijebu North (5); Obafemi-Owode (5); Ewekoro (1); Abeokuta South (2); Abeokuta North (3) and Ipokia (1).

Katsina Records 2 Death, 118 Suspected Cholera Cases

Katsina State Primary Health Care Development Agency says it has recorded no fewer than 118 suspected cases of cholera and two deaths in the state.

The agency’s Incident Manager and Director of Epidemiology, D. Kabir Suleiman, confirmed the cases in Katsina, stressing that the agency has activated its incident management system to prevent the further spread of cholera and other vaccine-preventable outbreaks in ten local government areas of the State.

He added that measures had been taken to manage the outbreak, including building 102 health facilities across LGAs, improving WASH facilities, and designing 34 comprehensive health centres with cholera treatment units.

Reemphasising that the state is prepared to coordinate any outbreak, with a sensitive surveillance system in place to detect cases of priority diseases like cholera, noting that the state has a typical routine surveillance system working to detect cases.

7 Die in Yobe

The Yobe State Ministry of Health and Human Services has said seven people have died since February following the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in Yobe State.

The Commissioner for Health, Yobe state, Dr Lawan Muhammad Gana, has confirmed that 214 suspected cases in February this year were recorded in the area, including some public boarding schools in Potiskum Local Government Area to date. All of them came out negative after the tests.

Gana added, “We are focused on maintaining control measures and educating the public about personal hygiene, environmental sanitation, water hygiene, and other health issues.

He also confirmed that “for now, we had turned out not to be cholera cases across the state. We don’t have recorded any cases for now. We are safe from the cholera.”

1 Dies, 53 Cases Recorded in Bauchi

Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board has said that one person has reportedly died from a suspected cholera case, while about 53 suspected cases were recorded in the state.

The board’s executive secretary, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said this while speaking to journalists in Bauchi.

He listed suspected cases received from about four local government areas of the state, including Bauchi, Giade, Katagum, and Toro.

Dr Mohammed said, “We don’t have any confirmed cases of cholera in Bauchi State, but we have 53 suspected cases and one suspected death.

“People should adhere to sanitation and hygiene protocols and report symptoms to the nearest health facility,” he said.

Plateau State Has No Record Of Cholera Outbreak – Dr. Shurkuk

The Plateau State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Cletus Shurkuk, has confirmed that the state has not recorded any cholera cases despite the outbreak in other parts of Nigeria.

Dr  Shurkuk told LEADERSHIP over the weekend that two suspected cases were reported, but the test results returned negative.

He said that, as a result, the state has strengthened its surveillance system to ensure early detection and prompt response to potential cholera cases.

No Cholera Case In Taraba

The health commissioner of Taraba state said the state has not recorded any Cholera cases.

Hon. Godiya Buma stated this when calculating the state’s level of cholera cases.

He stated that all necessary arrangements have been made to contain the disease outbreak in case of any eventuality.

No Outbreak Yet In Abia

LEADERSHIP Weekend checks at the Abia State Ministry of Health, the Health Management Board, and two hospitals indicated that there had not been a confirmed reported case of cholera in the state.

However, it should be noted that the ministry issued a statement last month saying 109 suspected disease cases were recorded in six local government areas.

The statement signed by the director of public health and disease control, Orie Agomuo, named the areas and their numbers: Ohafia, one; Ikwuanno, nine; Osisioma, one; Bende, 17; Umunneochi, 39; and Arochukwu, 42.

“Only two of the samples collected tested positive using Rapid Diagnostic Testing. Both samples were taken to the National Reference Laboratory, Abuja, where they were confirmed negative for cholera,” it added.

Surveillance In Delta

Delta State Government has commenced inspecting and monitoring the premises of table water producers in the state.

Visiting inspection teams from the Delta State Environmental Production Agency (DELSEPA) request a valid Environmental Audit Report (EAR) and verifiable water analysis results from table water producers.

The exercise is part of concerted efforts to ensure producers adhere to hygiene and quality control regulations.

Theresa Oliko, the state director of communication, revealed that the exercise became necessary due to the outbreak and prevalence of cholera in different parts of the country.

No Outbreak In Benue

In Benue State, the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Yanmar Ortese, has debunked reports made around the media space that the Cholera outbreak in the State has claimed lives.

The Commissioner who spoke with our correspondent on the telephone said the reports about the outbreak of the disease in the State are based on the Journalist’s imagination. He warned journalists against imaginary reporting, which he said was not suitable for the image of the state.He said, “I don’t know where those journalists got their reports and figures; I have gone round the hospitals myself and no such reports on my table.”

Cross River

In Cross River, the state Epidemiologist, Dr. Inyang Ekpeyong, stated that the last reported case of cholera in Cross River State occurred on January 29, 2024, stressing that nothing like that had been confirmed since then.

“So far, we have not had any reported and confirmed cases of cholera outbreak in our state. Only when we have a suspected case can we test it, and if it’s positive, can we declare that there is cholera,” Ekpeyong maintained.

At Edgerly Street Càlabar, Nelly Asuquo, a resident, expressed that no cholera has been reported.

Osun

The Osun State government has said the state has yet to record any confirmed case of cholera as of the filing of this report.

The Special Adviser to the state Governor on Health Matters, Dr Adekunle Akindele, said that although the state recorded 13 suspected cases, all turned out negative upon a laboratory assessment.

He assured the state’s people that the government would take adequate preventive measures to prevent and respond to the outbreak whenever a case is recorded.

Meanwhile, through the Ministry of Health, the Osun State Government has proactively reactivated and established the Public Health Rapid Response Team (PHRRT) and Cholera Technical Working Group (CTWG) for adequate surveillance and risk communication activities.

Akwa Ibom Gov’t Reactivates Emergency Response Team

Although Akwa Ibom is not listed among states with cholera cases, the health commissioner, Prof. Augustine Umoh, has said the government has implemented adequate precautionary measures to check the outbreak in the State.

To ward off the incident, Umoh said that the state government has commenced sensitisation of residents across the 31 local government areas on the need to maintain personal and environmental hygiene, especially during this period.

He said the government has stocked emergency drugs, such as fluids and necessary medicaments, in all primary health centres in case of an outbreak.

“For now, there is no reported cholera outbreak in the state.  We have commenced sensitisation of residents to maintain hygiene, both personal and environmental.”

Jigawa

Though the Cholera Outbreak has been one of the perennial disease outbreaks in Jigawa state, particularly during the early rainy season, no single case has been reported in the state for now.

According to the state Commissioner of Healthcare, Dr Abdullahi Kainuwa, they are a part of the cholera outbreak in some federation states. Still, in Jigawa state, there have been zero cases so far.

“However, we have strengthened our disease surveillance mechanism and also embarked on public enlightenment on measures needed to prevent the disease outbreak in the state,” Dr Kainuwa stated.

Kwara

The Kwara State government has implemented measures to forestall the cholera outbreak.

There is no reported case of cholera outbreak in the state.

The state commissioner for Environment, Hajia Aisha Buge, said that the ministry’s environmental health team, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, had organised and keenly supervised the clearing of the refuse indiscriminately dumped on the river bank along Sobi road near the Akerebiata Abattoir and other neighbouring communities.

She said that ‘’we are killing many birds with one stone, just as the National Environmental Sanitation Day is marked on June 28th,  we also need to be weary and proactive, so that we do not let loose our guards in keeping cholera and other diseases at bay, while we undertake our monthly sanitation exercise accordingly.”

Enugu State Has Not Reported Any Case

Enugu State has not officially reported any outbreak of the deadly Cholera disease

Investigations also revealed that, officially, hospitals in the state have not announced any death caused by Cholera.

Most of the residents of Enugu State who spoke to our correspondent said they have been washing their hands regularly to avoid the disease and keep their environments clean.

Recently, Prof Emmanuel Obi, the. Commissioner for Health

Enugu disclosed that the State has not reported any confirmed cases of Cholera yet.