Cholera outbreak: 1,500 cases and still counting

The last may not have been heard of the cholera epidemic that swept through most states in Nigeria despite a disturbingly high death toll which the United Nations has put at about 1,500. The recent cholera outbreak has been described by the UN as the worst in years with nearly 40,000 cases reported since the […]

The last may not have been heard of the cholera epidemic that swept through most states in Nigeria despite a disturbingly high death toll which the United Nations has put at about 1,500. The recent cholera outbreak has been described by the UN as the worst in years with nearly 40,000 cases reported since the start of the year.

The number of cases so far in 2010 is nearly three times the total for all of last year and 7 times that of 2008, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The Red Cross estimates that women and children account for 80 per cent of this year’s cases.

Although the spread of cholera seems to have been largely contained, new cases are still being reported from already affected states.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) attributed the unusually high cholera incidence to seasonal factors, combined with poor hygiene and population movements in the area, which is regularly affected by small outbreaks.

The fatality rate from the disease is 4.5 per cent overall in Nigeria, but the population of affected people dying of cholera is above 10 per cent in states that are either severely flooded or are home to large number of internally-displaced persons (IDPs). The rate has reached 20 per cent in Plateau, 17 per cent in Sokoto and 11 per cent in Gombe.

A village battling with cholera

Twenty-five people have so far been reported to have died in Lugu village of Wamakko Local Government Area near Sokoto as a result of the outbreak of cholera. The village head, Magajin Garin Lugu, Mallam Tukur Ahmed told Weekly Trust that 313 people were admitted and treated at the local health care centre in the area. Mallam Tukur blamed the situation on poor sanitation and the flood that ravaged the state.

He said the entire area was flooded a couple of weeks ago where dirty water flooded into the wells around the area and contaminated the people’s drinking water. He said so many graves around the area were washed away by the flood and the content deposited into wells where drinking and cooking water are fetched from. He said about 30 of those admitted have since been discharged while others are still receiving treatment at the hospital.

Leader of the MSF (Doctors Without Borders) who were seen giving treatment to victims, Dr. Femi Olulode confirmed the figure given by the village head and said the MSF is in the area treating the patients free of charge. He said the group has provided enough drugs for the treatment of cholera in the area and has so far treated over 300 people.

Two of the victims of the cholera infection who spoke to Weekly Trust, Mallam Audu Dan-Altine and Mrs Suwaiba Ahmadu commended MSF for the care and free drugs being given to the victims since the ailment started.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammed Jabbi Kilgore told a news conference shortly after the State Executive Council meeting that it was about a forthnight ago when a test was conducted in the area that it was discovered there was an outbreak of cholera in the area. He said the state government is convinced that the situation has been contained. He also blamed the situation on poor sanitation, saying that the people of the area are in the habit of stooling in the open space rather than building toilets in their houses. He added, “The issue of sanitation is a very serious one. Government will construct latrines for the people. We shall also provide them with more health facilities in the area.”

Negligence as a factor

Katsina State is the worst hit by the highest number of people affected by the recent outbreak of cholera in the north-western part of the country which also killed undisclosed number of people including children, the young and aged in the state, Weekly Trust’s investigation revealed.

Checks revealed that no less than 7, 000 people were infected with the recent outbreak recorded  particularly in rural areas across virtually all the thirty four (34) local government areas of the state. Worse still is the absence of health facilities and lack of adequate manpower to cater for the growing number of cases, particularly in the rural areas, which had aggravated the situation in Katsina.

The first case of outbreak was recorded in Tashar Gamji village in Kankiya Local Government Area of the state were six people died and about fifty others hospitalized in the early month of August this year. One of the victims Mallam Musa Iliyasu said he lost two of his children in less than 24 hours.

A highly placed health ministry official who spoke to Weekly Trust at that time confirmed similar outbreaks in Funtua, Daura, Safana, Dutsinma, Mashi and Kaita local governments but said the ministry was examining the sample of the first affected areas to examine the veracity or otherwise of the disease.

The source attributed the spread of the disease to the heavy downpour recorded this season which in most places washed all the dirt and dumped them in the ponds which incidentally is the main source of drinking water for communities. Runka village in Safana Local Government Area was the worst village hit by the outbreak where about  20 people were killed by the epidemic and about 5,000 others hospitalized.

When Weekly Trust visited, many of the victims were found sleeping on bare floors due to unavailability of beds. The situation is the same in Makera village of Dustinma Local Government Area which has also recorded significant loss of lives and thousands hospitalized.

An NGO, Partnership for the Revival of Routine Immunization and Maternal and Child Health (PRINN-MNCH) said in the midst of the outbreak, no less than 5,000 victims have been noted in the outbreak in virtually all the thirty four local government areas of the state.

The state team leader, Dr. Sani Jibril who spoke to Weekly Trust shortly after donating a million naira worth of intervention materials on behalf of the organization said the NGO is alarmed by the number of casualties which is the highest so far in the region, and therefore finds it expedient to step in and offer some respite to help curtail further spread. While the NGO’s intervention which contained some oral dehydration therapies and other kits have the potential of protecting the spread of the epidemic in at least 12 of the 34 local government areas, it still seems to be a long shot in the battle against dreaded cholera.