By Haruna Usman, Birnin Kebbi
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has raised serious concern about the rising number of cholera cases in Zamfara State, citing high case numbers from three of the state’s Ministry of Health (MOH) medical facilities it supports.
According to them from mid-June to early August, the medical humanitarian organisation has recorded over 1,500 cases in these facilities, while other humanitarian actors and the Ministry of Health have also reported high incidence rates in other parts of the state.
“The outbreak is unfolding in a context of insecurity, displacement, and limited access to clean water and sanitation – exacerbated by the rainy season,” said Dr. David Kizito, MSF’s medical coordinator in Nigeria.
While cholera has been endemic to Nigeria for decades, seasonal outbreaks typically intensify between April and October flooding during this period contaminates water sources, accelerating the spread of the disease in areas with poor sanitation.
He warned that cholera can cause severe diarrhea and vomiting and if left untreated, can lead to rapid dehydration and even death within hours.
In response to the outbreak, MSF has scaled up its water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) interventions and promotional activities alongside other humanitarian actors and the state Ministry of Health – which activated a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on 3 July MSF has particularly invested efforts in hotspot areas like Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Talata Mafara, where access to safe water remains critically low.
“Ensuring access to safe drinking water through boiling, practising regular handwashing, consuming freshly prepared meals, avoiding open defecation, and keeping vaccinations up to date are straightforward yet highly effective measures to safeguard yourself and your family from preventable diseases,” Dr. Ahmad Bilal, MSF head of mission in Nigeria has said.
He added that expansion of cholera medical treatment
In addition to these preventative measures, medical teams are providing treatment at MSF-supported facilities across the state.
In mid-June, following the first suspected case of cholera at an MSF-supported medical facility, the organisation increased its case management and surveillance response in Zamfara, in addition to its scaled-up WASH activities. In Zurmi, MSF and other humanitarian actors supported the MOH in opening a cholera treatment centre (CTC) in Zurmi General Hospital. In July, MSF supported the MOH in opening a cholera treatment unit (CTU) at the Talata Mafara General Hospital and a CTC at Shinkafi General Hospital all in practical efforts to contain it’s spread.