Niger State in north-central Nigeria continues to battle fresh cholera outbreaks, with 27 active cases reported across four regions, even as health authorities claim progress in treating over 327 patients discharged in recent weeks. The resurgence highlights persistent gaps in sanitation and access to clean water, prompting intensified aid efforts by international agencies.
New infections have emerged in Chanchaga, Shiroro, Munya, and Wushishi local government areas, according to Uriah Mahmudu, Deputy State Disease Surveillance Officer for UNICEF, during the delivery of emergency supplies to Niger’s Health Ministry. Mahmudu confirmed 10 patients hospitalized in Shiroro’s Kuta area, eight in Wushishi, seven in Chanchaga, and two in Munya’s Kabula district. He emphasized that newly donated medical and hygiene resources—including water purification tablets, antibiotics, and cholera treatment kits—would be distributed to patients and high-risk communities to curb transmission.
The intervention comes weeks after state officials declared the outbreak “contained,” citing over 300 recoveries. However, UNICEF’s Theresa Pamma, a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) specialist, stressed that structural challenges remain critical. “Forty-six percent of residents still practice open defecation,” she stated while handing over supplies in Minna, the state capital. “Unsafe water sources and poor sanitation are fueling this crisis.”
Pamma outlined a dire cycle: contaminated groundwater from human waste infiltrates drinking supplies, particularly in areas reliant on unprotected wells, rivers, and untrusted vendors. “Cholera won’t persist if every household has a toilet,” she asserted, urging authorities to prioritize sanitation infrastructure. Her team delivered cholera beds, antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and 350 cartons of treatment kits, alongside 10 drums of chlorine for water disinfection. Additional donations included testing kits for water and stool samples, which Dr. Idris Baba, UNICEF’s Kaduna-based health specialist, said could address all confirmed cases.
While the supplies offer immediate relief, Pamma underscored long-term risks without systemic change. She called for community-led efforts to adopt handwashing, water treatment, and household toilets, noting that vendor-sold water—often sourced from unregulated sites—poses widespread danger.
The outbreak underscores Nigeria’s vulnerabilities amid seasonal rains, which exacerbate waterborne disease risks. Nationwide, over 2,300 cholera deaths have been reported since 2021, with Niger among recurrent hotspots. While aid agencies focus on containment, health experts warn that lasting solutions hinge on eliminating open defecation—a goal requiring urgent investment in public health infrastructure and education. For now, residents remain caught between emergency aid and the slow march toward systemic reform.
