At least 43 persons have died in recent weeks as cholera outbreak ravages eight communities in Borno state, Northeast Nigeria, according to officials.
This became public about 48 hours after HumAngle had earlier reported the disease outbreak in one of the camps where persons associated with Boko Haram are housed in Maiduguri, the state capital.
A document seen by HumAngle on Tuesday, Sep. 20, indicated that since the first week of July, the government has been struggling to manage the spread of diarrhoea and cholera. However, the situation has continued to spread in communities, mainly in the state’s south.
“The Borno State Ministry of Health and Human Services has received reports of an outbreak of Acute Watery Diarrhea/Cholera in seven (7) LGAs of the State,” said the document, a letter from the Borno state ministry of health which was signed by the Director of Public Health, Dr Goni Abba and dated Sep. 14.
The letter also warned that “approximately one million populations in the affected. It adds, “It is against this background that we are seeking your support and commitment for treatment and containment of the Acute Watery Diarrhea/suspected cholera in Borno State,”.
Efforts to get a comment on the issue from the commissioner of health, Professor Mohammed Arab, were unsuccessful as he could not be reached in the office or on his phone.
A state report on deaths caused by acute and watery diarrhoea and suspected cholera cases that were released on Sep. 17 2022, indicated that 768 cases were recorded with the disease causing the death of 13 persons in Bayo local government, nine in Biu, four in Kwaya Kusar, 10 in Jere, five in Bama and two in Dikwa local government areas.