The Yobe State Government has reported a total of 132 cholera cases as of September 25, with nine fatalities.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services,Dr. Mohammed Gana, disclosed this in a statement issued in Damaturu on Friday.
Gana pointed out that the affected areas include Gubja, Fune, Machina, Nangere, and Nguru Local Government Areas.
He explained that of the total cases, 112 patients received treatment and were subsequently discharged, while nine individuals, representing 6.8 percent of the cases, succumbed to the illness due to delayed access to medical services.
“The disease was confirmed after samples from patients with Acute Watery Diarrhea (AWD) were tested at the National Disease Control Centre (NDCC) and the University of Maiduguri,” Gana noted. “It has now been confirmed that some of the cases were caused by Vibrio cholera, the bacteria responsible for cholera.”
Gana highlighted that the ongoing heavy rains and resulting floods have worsened the situation by damaging road infrastructure, disrupting potable water supply, and contaminating water sources, particularly in the affected areas.
This has led to a spike in cases of Acute Watery Diarrhea, with health workers struggling to deliver essential services due to logistical challenges.
The health commissioner called on various stakeholders to provide urgent support, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts, noting, “This declaration, therefore, is a clarion call on all the health sector partners, religious and traditional leaders, as well as the citizens, to join hands with the state government and its agencies to curb the menace of cholera.”
He also appealed to international, national, and local partners to leverage their expertise to bolster the state’s response to the cholera outbreak, stressing the importance of collective action.
