Tinubu sets up committee to curb cholera outbreak

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday approved the establishment of a cabinet committee to oversee the emergency operations centre led by the National Center for Disease Control in response to the ongoing cholera outbreak in Nigeria.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Ali Pate, revealed this after the Federal Executive Council at the Villa on Tuesday.

“The President directed that a cabinet committee be set up to oversee what the emergency operation centre led by NCDC is doing and for the resources to be provided, complemented by the state government,” Pate said.

He revealed that the council discussed ongoing efforts to flatten the curve of cholera infections and slow down the death rate across the country through a multisectoral approach.

He noted that the cabinet committee will complement efforts from state governments to reduce open defecation as tackling cholera requires a multisectoral approach.

The committee will comprise members from the Ministries of Health, Finance, Water Resources, Environment, Youth, Aviation, and Education.

According to the minister, 31 states have recorded 1,528 cholera cases with 53 deaths so far.

Nigeria is currently experiencing the 7th global cholera pandemic, which has affected more than 200,000 persons in five regions worldwide in 2024.

Pate said, “At the moment, about 31 states have recorded 1,528 cases and 53 deaths in Nigeria; that is what we are working on through the emergency operation centre that NCDC activated on Monday.

“Now we have a cholera outbreak, and we discussed it extensively in the Council, in addition to a new emergence of yellow fever, specifically in Bayelsa State. On cholera, we are in the middle of the 7th pandemic globally, which is decades in the making.

“In 2022, the world had almost 500,000 cases of cholera, so it is not only peculiar to Nigeria. In 2023, almost 700,000 cases of cholera were reported by the World Health Organisation. More than 200,000 cases have occurred this year in five world regions.”

He emphasised the need for a multisectoral approach involving technical partners and various ministries, civil society organisations, and the public to contain the outbreak through awareness, handwashing, hygiene, sanitation, and treatment.

“Multisectoral approach is given with technical partners other ministries water, environment, Heath, CSOs contributing in that effort and to ensure we contain them.

“Resources were deployed to 21 states to help them respond to cholera. We are improving awareness of the population, handwashing, hygiene sanitation, in addition to treatment with drugs, intravenous fluids,” he added.