LAGOS: More than 350 people have died from cholera in Nigeria in the first nine months of this year, an increase of 239% year-on-year, data from the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) showed on Monday.Cholera, a waterborne disease, is not uncommon in Nigeria, and health officials say there is a lack of potable water in rural areas and urban slums.
According to the NCDC, there were 359 deaths between January and September, compared to 106 during the same period last year.
The number of suspected cholera cases also jumped to 10,837 from 3,387 the previous year, with most of the infected children under the age of five.
According to the NCDC, Lagos, the country’s commercial capital, recorded the highest number of infections.
Authorities in northeastern Borno said on Friday that a cholera outbreak had hit the state, which is also grappling with floods that have displaced nearly 2 million people.
(Reporting by Macdonald Ziltwe; Editing by Ed Osmond)
Published October 7, 2024 at 3:08 PM IST
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