The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 1,307 suspected cases of cholera and 34 deaths across 30 states and 98 local government areas so far this year

The NCDC’s Director General, Dr Jide Idris, made this known during a national health security briefing in Abuja on Friday, May 2, 2025

He noted that the cholera case fatality rate stands at 2.6%, which is higher than the national target of under 1%.

With the rainy season approaching, Dr Idris warned of a likely surge in cases and called for urgent action.

“Flood risk data is being shared to help governments at all levels respond quickly and prevent waterborne disease outbreaks,” Dr. Idris said.

He explained that cholera spreads mainly through water or food contaminated with infected faeces, poor hygiene, and unsafe sanitation.

‘’The time between infection and the appearance of symptoms (incubation period) is two hours to five days. It causes symptoms like watery diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and sometimes fever. If untreated, severe dehydration can lead to death within hours, though most people (around 80%) have mild or no symptoms.
‘’Early treatment, especially with oral rehydration salts (ORS) and antibiotics, saves lives,’’ Dr Idris explained.

Dr Idris emphasised that boiling drinking water, cooking food thoroughly, washing fruits and vegetables, practicing regular handwashing, and avoiding open defecation are essential to stop the disease’s spread.

Dr Idris listed those most at risk to include people in rural areas or slums without clean water or sanitation, those living in overcrowded camps after floods or disasters, and healthcare workers and family members caring for infected patients.

He also urged health workers to report suspected cases, follow infection prevention protocols, and educate communities about hygiene.

He noted that the NCDC is stepping up its response with cholera readiness workshops, training, and supplies across the country and prioritizing 134 hotspot local government areas.

Dr Idris called on state governments to invest in clean water, sanitation, and public hygiene to protect their communities.

“While current case numbers are still relatively low, the spread to 30 states during the rainy season is a serious concern. We need all hands on deck—governments, communities, and health workers—to stop the spread and save lives,” Dr. Idris said.

Dr Idris pledged the NCDC’s commitment to continue working closely with states and partners to coordinate the response and provide regular updates.

In recent times, cholera has become a pressing public health concern in the country, threatening the well-being of many individuals and communities.

‘”As of October 2024, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 14,237 suspected cases and 378 deaths across 35 states and the Federal Capital Territory.””

This marks a staggering 220% increase in suspected cases and a 239% rise in fatalities compared to the same period in 2023.

According to report the outbreak affects children under five, who are particularly vulnerable due to poor sanitation and limited access to clean water. Flooding in northern states such as Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe, and Kano has exacerbated the spread of cholera, making these regions the current epicenters of the outbreak.

In response, the NCDC activated a national multi-sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group to monitor and respond to outbreaks across states. Efforts include improving sanitation, access to clean water, and public health education to curb the spread of the disease.

The federal government is also collaborating with the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, to secure emergency vaccine donations in anticipation of a potential cholera outbreak nationwide.

The NCDC has also activated a National Cholera Multi-Sectoral Emergency Operations Centre to coordinate cholera outbreak response in the country.

Stakeholders at a two-day sensitization workshop focused on enhancing understanding of intersex realities and intersex-inclusive healthcare among Nigerians and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have called for the recognition and inclusivity of the group in the health sector.

Intersex individuals born with sex characteristics (chromosomes, genitalia, reproductive organs, hormones) that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female and an umbrella term for a variety of natural variations in sexual development that don’t fit into the binary male/female classification.

Addressing the gathering in Abuja, the Director, ,Gender, Adolescent, School Health and Elderly Care (GASHE) Division, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr John Ovuraye said the Ministry was expanding its inclusivity agenda to ensure vulnerable populations, including adolescents, the elderly, persons with disabilities, and now intersex persons, are not overlooked.

”We are all working in line with the directive of the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, as it relates to inclusivity for all.”

” And this inclusivity, we are expanding it to measure all Nigerians, especially the ones that have been forgotten or the ones that have not come online, At least, their health needs are important to the health needs of the rest of them that we are attending to.”

Speaking further, he said, ”Now, this category of Nigerians, such as the elderly, the adolescents, the persons with disability, they are all super important and we want everyone to come on board.”

”Now, this community of intersex persons that are born with one form of abnormality or the other, as it relates to the sex organs, they are also a key population. Because at that very tender age, they don’t know whether they are male or they are female.”

On her part, the Executive Director of Intersex Nigeria, Obioma Chukwuike, who identified data gap highlighted the urgent need for broader recognition and integration of intersex issues into national health policies.

”So the gathering today, which is in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, is to train the departments in the Federal Ministry of Health and also have a dialogue with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on inclusive intersex healthcare in Nigeria.”

”For a very long time, over a long decade, I can’t even remember, as an intersex person, intersex has not been an inclusive conversation in the healthcare sector.”

According to her,”So Intersex Nigeria, looking at the gap, has worked in collaborative efforts with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, with the collaboration with the Department of Gashi Department, Gender, Adolescent and School of Health Department, to find a way to bridge that gap of knowledge.”

Obioma Chukwuike noted that intersex are classified as neither male or female whose genitals are so ambiguous and cannot be classified as either a male or a female.

”Or maybe their chromosomes, for male, we know that the chromosomes for male is XY. But you can find out that a female body might have a chromosome that is XY, but looking at them physically, you might assume that they are female. But their chromosomes, when it’s dictated, is XY.

The Executive Director added that Intersex individuals, born with congenital variations in sex characteristics, often face stigma, discrimination, and limited access to appropriate healthcare services.

The Federal Government has commended efforts by diaspora based Nigerian healthcare professionals to improve healthcare in Nigeria, emphasizing it’s crucial support to enhance its sustainability.

Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako Minister of State for Health & Social Welfare stated
at the gala night of the just concluded Association of Nigerian Physicians in Americas (ANPA) 31st Annual Scientific Convention / 30 years anniversary celebration held at Eko Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos.

Looking back over ANPAs 30 years of existence, the Minister affirmed it’s diligent and unwavering commitment to conducting medical missions to Nigeria, enhancing capacity building of Nigerian-based healthcare professionals, providing medical interventions to the less privileged and, donating materials to health facilities across Nigeria.

Dr. Salako expressed profound appreciation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, to Nigerian Diaspora Healthcare Professionals for their services, which align with the renewed hope agenda of his administration.

In his address, he further explained that the government prioritized health as a matter of rights and an urgent issue to be addressed for all Nigerians; underscoring the formulation of national health sector renewal investment initiative ( NHSRII) by the Federal Ministry of Health & Social Welfare.

“We have developed a health sector investment initiative as a blueprint to prevent physical and financial pains, to save lives and, to provide healthcare for all Nigerians”, the Minister explained .

Highlighting several milestone initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Salako asserted that government is committed to unlocking the value chain in health sector.

He urged diaspora Nigerian professionals to participate by investing in manufacturing, stressing, existence of free tariff on imported raw materials and active pharmaceutical inputs.

He further pointed out that budgetary allocations for healthcare by the present administration have been on the upward increase. This, he stated, ensured that a policy on seamless recruitment of healthcare workers which made it much easier unlike the former cumbersome process.

Continuing, the Minister informed ANPA members that under the present administration, funding of healthcare regulatory bodies has been fully restored, marking a distinct departure from previous administration’s policy.

Additionally, he stated that government has strengthened domestic funding of its health sector in the face of the challenge around USAID.

” One clear example is that when the challenge around USAID funding came, the federal government quickly rose and cover the gap, provided in excess of $200 million in the budget of 2025 to ensure that projects around HIV, tuberculosis, malaria and so on and so forth, that are being funded by external support does not suffer”; Dr. Salako further highlighted.

Speaking at the event, the President of Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas ANPA Dr. Cliff Eke, canvassed for more effective collaboration and partnership with the Nigerian based physicians to improve access and quality healthcare for 250 million Nigerians.

Hence its sub-theme for this year’s mission: ” Aligning the Health Sector and Diaspora to Improve Healthcare in Nigeria”

This year’s 2025 ANPA medical mission to Nigeria themed ” Advancing Patient Care: Leadership, Research, and Strategic Investment” witnessed over 500 surgeries and dental care including dental implants. Others are advanced laparoscopic connectomy, laparoscopic gynecologic surgeries, 387 cataract surgeries, 30 glaucoma operations at Indo Eye Clinic, first of its kind in Nigeria to be performed in three days, postpartum coverage etc.

PR