NCDC Identifies Ogun, Three Other States as Epicentre of Cholera This Year
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has identified Ogun and three other states, as the epicentre of the cholera outbreak this year.
The three other states, according to the centre, are Adamawa, Cross River and Zamfara.
The centre’s incident manager of cholera technical working group, Dr. Sebastian Yenna, said the four states have the highest number of cholera cases this year, according to an update of NCDC epidemiology week 39.
Yenna announced this on Tuesday during the monthly meeting of the water sanitation and hygiene in emergency working group held in Abuja.
According to him, efforts were ongoing in providing response commodities to affected states and in the country.
Last month, Ogun State Government announced the outbreak of cholera in the Ijebu North Local Government Area, but was silent on the number of infections and deaths.
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Also, last year, Ogun recorded 17 deaths from 108 confirmed cholera cases recorded in the state.
In 2021, more than 10 people also died, in the cholera outbreak in the state.
Yennan mentioned that NCDC’s intervention through cholera case management was carried out in partnership with WHO by distributing infection prevention and control kits, WASH kits, and chlorine powder, among others.
He noted that this intervention was being prioritised in the four states, mentioning that the distributed kits could also be used in emergency situations like Lassa fever and diphtheria outbreaks.
“The NCDC has partnered with a third-party logistics company in the distribution of commodities and also to bring samples. Our cholera response is active in all 36 states and the FCT.
“In Zamfara, for instance, the governor visited the cholera treatment centre in Anka local government, which was built by Doctors Without Borders/MSF. They have received response commodities”.
He mentioned that states needed to do more to prioritize cholera prevention by ensuring that funds were budgeted early and accessible.
