The Niger State Government has declared that the recent cholera outbreak is now under control, with over 320 patients successfully treated and discharged across the state.
Commissioner for Primary Health Care, Dr. Ibrahim Ahmed Dangana, disclosed this during a live radio programme, Media Chat, organized by the State Ministry of Information and Strategy. He revealed that fewer than 10 patients remain on admission in health facilities across the state.
“Out of the 327 hospitalised patients, we have discharged virtually all. Only a few remain under observation,” Dangana said, while confirming that 14 deaths were recorded during the outbreak.
To contain the spread of the disease, the state government activated the Inter-Sectoral Emergency Preparedness and Response system, including Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs), intensified disease surveillance across all 274 wards, and established Isolation Centres and Cholera Treatment Units (CTUs) in all 25 local government areas.
Dr. Dangana credited the rapid containment of the outbreak to the support of development partners, particularly the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), which provided vital medical and hygiene supplies to over 14,000 households.
“The Ministry, supported by various MDAs and partners—especially UNICEF—has been proactive. Sensitization campaigns have reached more than 16,000 schoolchildren, and extended to markets, places of worship, and traditional institutions,” he added.
In a separate interview, UNICEF Health Specialist from the Kaduna Field Office, Idris Baba, confirmed that the supplies provided were sufficient to manage all identified cases. These included cholera kits, 40 specialized beds, Ringer’s lactate, antibiotics, gloves, water purification tablets, and testing kits for water and stool samples.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Binta Mamman, also commended the swift and coordinated action of all stakeholders, emphasizing that timely public education and community engagement were critical to containing the outbreak.
— Anna Moses
