Nigeria Records 65,000 Suspected Cholera Cases, NCDC Warns Outbreak Not Over
Mirian Gom 
DG, NCDC, Dr. Jide Idris
ABUJA – Nigeria has recorded more than 65,000 suspected cholera cases across 35 states and about 195 local government areas in 2026, with health authorities warning that the outbreak remains active despite a recent decline in weekly infections.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Abuja.
Although weekly cholera infections have dropped significantly from their peak earlier in the year, Idris cautioned Nigerians against assuming the outbreak has ended.
“The encouraging news is that weekly cases have declined substantially from the peak recorded earlier in the season. The proportion of reported cases resulting in death is also considerably lower than it was at the same time last year,” he said.
“This is important progress. But I want to be very clear: the outbreak is not over.”
He explained that Nigeria remains in the rainy season, a period associated with increased cholera transmission due to flooding, contaminated water sources and damaged sanitation systems.
Idris said early access to treatment has significantly improved patient outcomes, particularly in Borno State, where most of this year’s cases have been recorded.
According to him, decentralising treatment centres has made healthcare more accessible to affected communities and reduced fatalities.
However, he stressed that treatment alone would not eliminate cholera.
“While treatment saves lives, we cannot treat our way out of cholera,” he said.
The NCDC identified unsafe drinking water, open defecation, poor hygiene practices, damaged water infrastructure and inadequate sanitation facilities in schools, markets and public institutions as major drivers of the outbreak.
The agency urged state and local governments to improve access to clean water, strengthen water quality monitoring, repair damaged infrastructure and intensify efforts to end open defecation.
Idris also revealed that Nigeria has recorded more than 10,000 confirmed diphtheria cases this year.
He noted that although fatalities from diphtheria have declined compared to the same period in 2025, the disease remains a major public health concern, especially in Kano, Borno and Bauchi states.
According to him, low vaccination coverage remains the biggest factor driving the spread of diphtheria.
“The central issue is that too many children remain unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated,” Idris said.
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Otamere Gladness 
Oluwafunbi Bello