CHOLERA SPREADS ACROSS NORTHERN NIGERIA

Health officials have confirmed the spread of cholera across various local government areas of some states in northern Nigeria. Latest reports showed that the disease, which outbreak was reported in Zamfara state two weeks ago, has spread to Sokoto. This was after medical authorities, at the weekend, confirmed that it killed eight people in southern part of Plateau state. cholera has killed no fewer than 63 people in the past week, across Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
The medics said the disease hit Namu, a village in Qua’an Pan local government area Plateau state at its border with Nasarawa state where eight people were killed, while 61 were hospitalised. Namu hosts displaced people in the violent crisis that broke out in the Obi local government area of Nasarawa state.
Also in Zamfara state, in a follow-up to an earlier report, the death toll due to the outbreak of cholera has reportedly risen to 50. According to one resident who spoke to the BBC, the disease is spreading to other communities despite the measures taken by the state government, adding that the “Outbreak of the disease is as a result of paucity of potable water in the affected areas”. The state Commissioner of Health, Alhaji Kabiru Janyau, said that the state government was only aware of 50 death cases since the disease erupted. This number contrasts with the 130 deaths a news agency suggests are linked to cholera.
In Sokoto state, health officials confirmed the outbreak at Barkeji village of Tambuwal local government area where it claimed five lives. The Deputy Director of Health of the local government area, Alhaji Bala Oroji, who confirmed the outbreak on Monday, said that all the deceased persons were aged between 27 and 30 years.
Source: People’s Daily.