Nigeria is currently in the grip of a worrisome cholera epidemic which has left over 2000 persons dead so far this year; with more casualties expected in the days ahead.
The cholera outbreak has been recorded in about 25 states.
The development has ignited fears in some quarters over the possibility of the epidemic spreading to more states across Nigeria; as well as the potentialities of huge mortality rates especially in view of the ongoing strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD).
Also losing sleep over the development is Nigeria’s disease-fighting agency – the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Earlier, the agency had disclosed that 58,698 suspected cases have been recorded in Nigeria this year, with 2,035 deaths.
Also, it stated that about 63 deaths had been recorded within one week in 10 states across Nigeria. Specifically, the NCDC, in a report published on its website on Monday, August 30, 2021 covering August 16 to 22, 2021 had disclosed that of the 63 deaths recorded recently; Katsina had led with 14 casualties, followed by Yobe State with seven deaths. Adamawa had accounted for six deaths, followed by Zamfara with four; Borno recorded two deaths while Jigawa and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory each recorded a solitary casualty.
Within the same period under review, the NCDC had revealed that 3,098 suspected cases were recorded in 23 states and Abuja.