Poor sanitation, unhygienic toilets, open defecation in riverine areas and the consumption of contaminated food and water have contributed to the outbreak of cholera in 13 local government areas in Borno State where 1,716 cases have been recorded and 104 people have died from the disease.
Within the past two months, RNI has published several articles about cholera outbreaks in various locations, including in internally displaced persons’ camps, in host communities and in one surrendered/repentant insurgents’ rehabilitation centre.
Lawi Auta Mshellia, executive director of the Borno State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, confirmed that there were 1,716 recorded cases of cholera and 104 deaths across the state.
“Cholera is a very dangerous and life-threatening disease and it’s prevalent during the rainy season. The root causes of cholera include poor environmental sanitation, the use of unhygienic toilets, open defecation in riverine areas and the consumption contaminated food and water.
“The first case of cholera we recorded was in July in the Bayo Local Government Area of Borno State. However, we successfully controlled the outbreak with the help of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) but, unfortunately, a while later the outbreak resurfaced. The most serious outbreaks at the moment are in the Jere and Konduga Local Government Areas, especially within IDPs camps and a rehabilitation centre or camp where repentant and surrendered insurgents and their families are kept.”
Mshellia said detailed records had been kept since July. As of Monday, September 26, there were 1,716 cases of cholera and 104 deaths from the disease in the 13 local government areas of Borno State.
He said the breakdown of the areas affected were 425 cases in Bayo; 135 in Biu; 65 in Kwaya-Kusar; 91 in Mafa; 22 in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council; 365 in Jere; 115 in Bama; 123 in Dikwa; 348 in Konduga; three in Magumeri; two in Ngala; 18 in Gwoza; and four in Damboa.
In Bayo 13 deaths were recorded; nine in Biu; four in Kwaya-Kusar; six in Mafa, 24 in Jere; 11 in Bama; eight in Dikwa; 26 in Konduga; and three in Gwoza. No one had died from the disease in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council.
“International non-governmental organisations, such as the World Health Organisation [WHO], the United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], Action Against Hunger and Médecins Sans Frontières [MSF or Doctors Without Borders], among others, have been supporting the Borno State government to control the cholera outbreaks. A treatment centre had been established in Bulabulin Ngarannam and in other areas. UNICEF, in collaboration with the Borno State government, had already established a treatment centre in the Muna, Customs House and Shokari internally displaced persons’ camps. So, the government is fully prepared to tackle the cholera outbreaks within the state,” Mshellia said.
“There has been a cholera treatment centre in Muna for two years now. It was especially built to control cholera outbreaks. All the government’s general hospitals have isolation centres where cholera patients are treated. The government is prepared for these outbreaks because they happen often in the rainy season. This year it seems more prevalent, probably caused by the heavy flooding in parts of the state and also because the now raging and overflowing River Ngadda-Bul has broken its banks,” he said.
SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO
