Cholera: 97 Deaths, 6,850 Cases Reported Nationwide this Year, Says Niger Commissioner

Laleye Dipo in Minna

97 deaths have been recorded in 6,850 cases of cholera outbreak throughout the country this year, the Niger State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mustapha Jibrin, has disclosed.

Jibrin, while briefing journalists on the recent outbreak in the state yesterday, he said the reported cases were from 20 states of the federation. However, he did not name the states.

He said state recorded 74 cases with seven deaths contrary to the claim by the Bida Local Government Area in a statement on the issue last Monday that 10 lives were lost to the disease in Bida.

According to Jibrin, who gave a breakdown of the casualty, four deaths were recorded in Bida town where the outbreak was first reported while one death each were reported in Gbako, Katcha and Lavun Local Government Areas.

The commissioner explained that of the seven that died, five were between seven and 13 years old while the others were from 35 years and above.

He also refuted the claim by the Bida council authorities that there was only one medical doctor in the hospital, saying there were six of such personnel in the employment of the state government in the hospitals.

Jibrin said the ministry was investigating cases of gastroenteritis disease in two local government areas, Wushishi and Munya, adding that “tests of samples collected are yet to be released.”

He said the state government had released N25million for the purchase of medical equipment and drugs to contain the disease, adding that the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international donor agencies were providing technical supports in the campaign to stop the spread of the disease.

Also, the commissioner disclosed that the Federal Medical Centre in Bida had been selected as “a dedicated health institution” where patients were to be treated free of charge.