WASHINGTON: About 200 people have died in a worsening cholera outbreak in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno over the past two months, the global medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has said.
In a statement issued on Wednesday (local time), the MSF expressed concern over the worsening outbreak, warning that the disease could overwhelm local health facilities despite ongoing response efforts.
As of July 12, at least 198 people had died, and more than 35,500 suspected cases had been reported in the state, the MSF cited the data released by the Borno state government.
The organisation said it had treated more than 24,000 patients with suspected cholera as of July 12 while working alongside government health authorities and humanitarian partners. It attributed the continued spread of the disease to inadequate access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare services in affected communities, according to Xinhua news agency.
In April, the Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention placed 10 states on high alert over the risk of cholera outbreaks linked to heavy rainfall and flooding.
The Nigerian government has activated its incident management system and deployed health teams to affected regions. International organisations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN) Children's Fund, and the medical charity Doctors Without Borders, have joined in the fight against the outbreak.
Bukar Tijjani, secretary to the Borno State Government, said the state has implemented emergency measures, including restricting access to water sources such as local dams and reservoirs, and expanding the supply of safe drinking water through tankers, while investigations into the source of the outbreak are underway.
Cholera, an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by contaminated food or water, remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, particularly in states affected by flooding and poor water and sanitation infrastructure. --IANS
