Cholera Outbreak Hits Borno, 27 Died – Data

No fewer than 27 persons have been confirmed dead, while 2,715 suspected cases of cholera have been recorded across five Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Borno State within the first 24 days of May.

The data, contained in an official epidemiological summary obtained by LEADERSHIP, reveals a rapidly escalating public health situation, with hundreds of new suspected cases reported within a single 24-hour cycle.

Medical officials have warned that the current case count of 2,715 remains conservative, noting that data from several Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs) and Oral Rehydration Points (ORPs) are yet to be fully integrated into the official database.

There are palpable fears among residents that infections could spike further during the upcoming festive season, a situation worsened by the state Ministry of Health’s failure to issue an official public alert.

It was reported that the outbreak has affected at least 29 wards and 124 communities across the state.

The Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) stands as the epicentre of the outbreak, accounting for more than half of the total burden with 1,568 cases.

A breakdown of the affected cases across the local government areas shows that Jere leads with 834 cases, Mafa with 159, Konduga with 95, and Monguno with 56. Other areas include Ngala, with two cases, and Magumeri, with one case.

Of the 27 fatalities documented so far, 11 occurred within local communities, highlighting potential gaps in early healthcare access and emergency response. The remaining 16 deaths were recorded inside designated health facilities.

The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) currently stands at 1%, which touches the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) emergency threshold requiring immediate, scaled-up intervention.

On laboratory diagnostics, a total of 35 Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) positive cases have been recorded, while 14 cases have been strictly confirmed through National Reference Laboratory (NRL) testing.

Meanwhile, health workers, particularly within the non-governmental sector, have expressed deep concern over the state government’s delay in declaring a public health emergency and launching a massive public awareness campaign to contain the spread.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief the media, a health worker lamented the situation.

“What the government is supposed to do at this critical moment is call a press conference and declare a cholera outbreak so that residents can take measures to safeguard themselves. But this is not being done,” the source said.

Efforts to reach the Borno State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Professor Baba Malam Gana, proved abortive, as calls and text messages sent to his mobile phone were neither acknowledged nor returned at the time of filing this report.