CHOLERA has killed 149 people in Nigeria since January this year, as shown by the latest data the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) released today.
The number is 1,174 deaths lower than the 2,323 deaths recorded within the same period in 2021.
While there have been 5,451 suspected cholera cases in the country this year, the nation logged 69,925 suspected cases within the same period in 2021.
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A breakdown of this year’s data showed that in January, there were 951 cases, out of which 26 persons died.
In February and March, 606 and 204 cases were reported respectively, with seven deaths apiece.
The months of April and May had 418 and 485 suspected cases logged, and death tolls for the months were 14 and six in that order.
There were also six deaths from the disease in June. Cases for the month were 495.
Meanwhile, most fatalities from the condition occurred in July with 30 deaths. Suspected cases for the month were 705.
August witnessed the highest number of suspected cases, with only six fatalities.
In total, there have been 5,451 cases of the disease this year and 149 deaths.
The case fatality rate has been 2.7 per cent.
According to the data, all the cases were recorded in 217 local government areas in 31 states.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cholera is an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by ingesting food or water contaminated with the bacterium vibrio cholerae.
It can kill within hours if left untreated.
Providing safe water and sanitation is critical to preventing and controlling cholera transmission and other water-borne diseases.
Because the majority of Nigerians do not have access to safe water and the fact that good sanitation practices have been very low, cholera has remained a health challenge in the country for years. In 2010, a report showed that the disease killed 1,500 in Nigeria.
It spread from the country to Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin that year.
In 2021, 2,035 died from the disease in 23 states within eight months.
The ICIR reported in August how the disease had killed 91 persons between January and July.
Marcus bears the light, and he beams it everywhere. He's a good governance and decent society advocate. He's The ICIR Reporter of the Year 2022 and has been the organisation's News Editor since September 2023. Contact him via email @ [email protected]