The Federal Ministry of Water Resources has called on all relevant authorities to prevent cholera deaths.
The ministry was reacting to the over 3,598 deaths that were recorded in 2021 across the country.
According to the Cholera Situation Report for 2021, the age group of five to 14 years was the most affected, with Bauchi, Jigawa, Kano, and Zamfara states leading.
This was the thrust of the National Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Group meeting in Abuja with participation from line ministries and development partners.
The Director of Water Quality Control and Sanitation in the ministry, Mr. Emmanuel Awe, said it was worrisome that cholera deaths still occurred in many parts of the country.
“In 2021, Nigeria’s reported cholera cases as of December 6, 2021, totaled 107,911 with 3,598 deaths. These exceeded the number of cases reported in 2020, that is, 1,858 cases and 95 deaths.
“These figures are not acceptable. The number of deaths from cholera was less than COVID-19, waterborne diseases are preventable, and all we need to do is to ensure that our people have access to clean and safe potable water at all times.
“Cases have been reported from 341 local government areas in 29 states, including the conflicted states in the Northeast and crisis-affected Northwest.
“These reports of a resurgence of cholera in states and the FCT are a worrisome public health crisis, especially coming amid the emergence of the highly infectious Omicron, showing the third wave of COVID-19 cases.”
