Only three states didn’t record cholera cases in 2021- NCDC
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has said that only 3 out of 36 states did not report suspected cases of cholera in 2021.
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The NCDC disclosed this in its situation report for the 52nd epidemiological and last report for 2021.
“Thirty-three states and the FCT reported suspected cholera cases in 2021. These are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, the FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Rivers and Zamfara,” it stated.
Following the centre’s analysis, only Anambra, Edo and Imo did not report cholera cases last year.
It also stated that the country reported no fewer than 3,604 deaths and 111,062 cases of cholera in 2021
The NCDC explained, “Of the suspected cases since the beginning of the year, the age group five-14 years is the most affected age group for male and female. Of all suspected cases, 50 per cent are males and 50 per cent are females.
“Four states – Bauchi (19,558 cases), Jigawa (15,141 cases), Kano (12,116 cases) and Zamfara (11,931 cases) – accounted for 53 per cent of all cumulative cases. Eleven LGAs across five states of Bauchi (four), Zamfara (four), Kano (one), Katsina (one) and Borno (one) reported more than 1,000 cases each in the year “.
In terms of challenges it encountered in 2021, the NCDC listed them thus, “Difficulty in accessing some communities due to security concerns; open defecation in affected communities; lack of potable drinking water in some rural areas and urban slums; inadequate vaccines to cover all LGAs, wards and settlements with cholera outbreaks; inadequate health facility infrastructure and cholera commodities for management of patients (Ringer’s lactate and ORS); inadequate trained personnel in states for case management; and poor and inconsistent reporting from states.”
For its next steps, the centre promised to “develop state-level preparedness and response plans, and maintain communication with and support to states for data reporting and response.
“Develop and submit cholera vaccination request to the International Coordinating Group and the Global Task Force for Cholera Control for reactive and preventive cholera campaign with the NPHCDA; continue advocacy to state governments to increase funding in WASH infrastructure; and pre-position response commodities across states.
“Build capacity for sample collection, transportation and laboratory diagnosis; planned after action review; planned review of the National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control; and scale-up risk communications.”
MTO/Punch
