Our reporter The World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the International Organisation for Migration held an emergency meeting on Tuesday in Lagos State in response to the cholera outbreak affecting 30 states in Nigeria. The WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Mulombo, disclosed this on his X handle. He said, “Happening Now: @WHONigeria @UNICEF_Nigeria @IOM_Nigeria hold an emergency meeting on the emerging cholera outbreak in Lagos State.
The three agencies are discussing joint @UN_Nigeria support @NCDCgov @ProfAkinAbayomi.” The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, in its latest report, revealed that from January 1 to June 11, 2024, over 1,141 suspected and over 65 confirmed cases of cholera, resulting in over 30 deaths were reported from 96 LGAs in 30 states. The Lagos State Ministry of Health, on its part, recorded 350 suspected cases of cholera in 29 wards across multiple local government areas with 17 confirmed cases and 15 fatalities attributed to severe dehydration caused by delayed presentation.
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, revealed that the Island area of Lagos was found to be the epicentre of the outbreak, adding that 106 out of the 350 suspected cases in the state were recorded on Lagos Island. Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by the ingestion of the bacteria— Vibrio cholerae— in contaminated water and food. Symptoms of cholera include acute profuse, painless watery diarrh.