- warn states against suppressing information
From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), alongside other relevant organisations, have kick-started actions against the imminent outbreak of cholera in the country as the rainy season peaks.
NCDC said the response plans and actions have already commenced in southern Nigeria, where rainfall often starts before gradually moving to the northern parts of the country.
NCDC Director General, Dr. Jide Idris, told journalists at a press conference, in Abuja, on Friday, that Cholera has remained an endemic in Nigeria, particularly in communities with limited access to clean water and sanitation, and the challenge is the inability of the state governments to provide the necessary information needed for urgent and prompt response.
He explained that cholera is a highly contagious infection caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and can be fatal without prompt and adequate treatment. “As we approach the peak of the rainy season, a concerning trend in cholera transmission is emerging.
“During the presentation of the 2025 Annual Flood Outlook, the Federal Government issued a warning to 30 States and the FCT about imminent flood risks. Notably, this year’s outlook introduced a community-based forecasting approach designed to enhance preparedness and early response efforts across vulnerable regions.
“According to the forecast, over 1,200 communities in 176 Local Government Areas (LGAs) have been identified as high-risk flood zones, and an additional 2,187 communities in 293 LGAs are classified as being at moderate risk of flooding.
“This proactive dissemination of localized flood risk data is expected to drive coordinated action at the federal, state, and community levels, ensuring timely interventions that can help prevent waterborne disease outbreaks like cholera,” the NCDC boss said.
Meanwhile, available data indicated that as of epidemiological week 16 (ending 20 April 2025), 1,307 suspected cases of cholera have been reported across 30 states and 98 LGAs, with 34 associated deaths, resulting in a case fatality rate (CFR) of 2.6 per cent which is well above the target of less than one per cent.
Speaking on ither communicable diseases, the NCDC Director General said that since epidemiological week 12, Nigeria has recorded a steady decline in confirmed Lassa fever cases from 41 cases down to 10 in epidemiological week 16 (ending 20th April 2025). “Encouragingly, both the number of deaths and the CFR have also decreased, with only three deaths reported.”
On Mpox, the NCDC DG said that since the beginning of 2025, Nigeria has continued to monitor and respond to Mpox outbreaks across the country through coordinated national surveillance efforts.
“From Week 1 to Week 16 of 2025, a total of 723 suspected cases of Mpox were reported across 35 states and the FCT. Of these, 136 cases were laboratory-confirmed, spanning 27 states and the FCT.
“Unfortunately three Mpox-related deaths recorded during this period: two (2) in Week 10 from Abia and Ebonyi states, and one (1) more recently in Rivers State, involving a young male with advanced HIV and tuberculosis (TB). This brings the national CFR for 2025 to 2.2 per cent.