Hussaini Kafi, Minna
The consumption of contaminated rainwater has triggered a cholera outbreak across 16 local government areas in Niger State, resulting in 13 deaths and the hospitalisation of 130 others.
Out of 253 confirmed cases, Chanchaga, Bosso, Shiroro, Munya, Magama, and Bida local government areas are the worst hit. A breakdown shows Bosso recorded 68 cases, Chanchaga 67, Shiroro 58, while Munya, Magama, and Bida reported 20 cases each.
The State Commissioner for Primary Health, Dr Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana, confirmed the outbreak and attributed it to the lack of access to potable drinking water in the affected communities.
He said the government has designated the Idris Kuta Primary Health Centre in Minna to handle cases in Chanchaga, while other local facilities are treating patients within their LGAs.
“WHO, NSEMA, and the State Water Board have been mobilised to combat the spread. We’ve also procured drugs and urge the public to consume only hygienic water and food,” Dangana said.
The Director of Public Health, Dr Ibrahim Idris, added that surveillance officers have been deployed, noting a downward trend in the outbreak.
