AS CHOLERA CONTINUES TO KILL…
All stakeholders must do more to contain the scourge
The latest report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on the cholera outbreak in Borno State, with more than 4000 suspected cases and 39 associated deaths across seven local government areas is worrying. But it does not even tell the complete story of the tragedy. The Borno State government has raised the alarm that more than 3,000 people have been affected with 37 lives already lost. A few weeks ago, the NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, warned that the country has entered the seasonal window when cholera cases historically surge, with early surveillance data already showing increasing infections across several states. “These forecasts are particularly concerning because they coincide with the period when cholera transmission typically accelerates,” Idris said. “Flooding can contaminate water sources and disrupt sanitation systems, creating conditions for rapid spread.”
For more than four decades, cholera has not only been a recurring disease in Nigeria but has also led to the death of thousands of people, especially children. Mostly contracted through drinking contaminated water and eating waste products, cholera often leads to the infection of the small intestine. That Nigerians are still afflicted by such a disease in this age tells a compelling story about the state of the country. The sad part is that in many of our states, the villagers and rural dwellers are left to rely on streams as the only source of drinking water, and there are no adequate provisions for disposing waste. In most cases, the people even rely on stagnant water for washing their clothes and other items.
The problem becomes more compounded when and where there are no modern medical facilities to assist in the treatment of the disease. Meanwhile, the spread of cholera becomes worse when the environment is not clean; when the water system is not treated and when sanitation is not taken seriously. According to the NCDC, in communities affected by the outbreak of the infectious disease, open defecation is a common practice. “There is also inadequate WASH infrastructure and supplies including wastewater management facilities,” the agency said.
Fortunately, with effective coordination, the disease can be contained quickly. But the real challenge is to work towards its eradication from Nigeria as it has been done in many other countries. Therefore, more surveillance, more awareness, more resourcing, and better coordination will be necessary to reduce deaths from cholera and other preventable diseases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has consistently stressed that no human should die from preventable diseases like cholera. There is an urgent need for public enlightenment on healthy living. Experts have advised that people should ensure their food (cooked or uncooked) is properly covered while regular handwashing should be adhered to always.
Cholera kills when a person loses too much body fluids, meaning such deaths are preventable if victims are quickly rehydrated. Since no vaccine has been developed to work against cholera, what is commonly used is oral rehydration salts (ORS) as part of measures to mitigate the problem. But prevention is still very much better than cure. To that extent, our rural dwellers and the urban poor should be taught the rules of basic hygiene.
The world has moved ahead of the era where cholera kills citizens. That we are still witnessing outbreaks of cholera is a serious indictment on our healthcare delivery. Healthcare officials and other critical stakeholders in Nigeria must therefore do more in providing adequate clean water for the citizens, especially for those that are in the rural areas.
