By Ayomide Otitoju
A cholera outbreak in Borno State has killed 39 people and recorded 272 new infections across 36 wards in eight local government areas within the past 24 hours.
The Incident Manager of the Public Emergency Operations Centre, Jacob Audu, disclosed this in Maiduguri, urging residents to adopt strict hygiene measures to curb further spread of the disease.
Audu said the outbreak has affected 138 communities across the impacted local government areas, adding that emergency response measures have been strengthened to contain the situation.
Speaking on Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary of the Borno Ministry of Health and Human Services, Shettima Maina, said two emergency response centres had been reactivated to treat affected persons across the state.
Maina described the illness as acute watery diarrhoea but did not explicitly confirm it as cholera, while noting that case numbers had begun to decline in recent days.
He said Governor Babagana Zulum had released funds, drugs and medical supplies to affected health facilities, ensuring that patients receive free treatment.
“The Ministry of Health and its agencies have intensified health promotion and awareness campaigns in all affected communities to prevent further spread,” Maina said.
He added that sensitisation programmes and stakeholder engagements were ongoing across local government areas to improve response and management of acute watery diarrhoea.
Health officials said women aged between 21 and 50 are the most affected demographic group, while Old Maiduguri Ward has recorded the highest number of cases.
Authorities have continued to urge residents to maintain proper hygiene practices and report suspected cases promptly to nearby health facilities.
