A community medicine expert, Prof. Angela Oyo-Ita, has stressed that access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene remains the most effective defence against cholera, while vaccines play only a secondary role.
Oyo-Ita made this known on Wednesday during a media roundtable organised by Cochrane Nigeria at the Institute of Tropical Disease Research and Prevention, Calabar.
She explained that the meeting sought to clarify the role of vaccines in cholera control, noting that prevention through safe water and hygiene must remain the first line of action.
“We have talked about vaccines today, but it is important to highlight that prevention through potable water, sanitation, and hygiene is the first line of defence. Being healthy is largely determined by how we live, particularly in terms of hygiene and sanitation. When these fail, vaccines become necessary,” she said.
Oyo-Ita also emphasised the need for protection when people travel beyond safe environments, where vaccines become especially relevant. She dismissed myths suggesting that vaccines are a Western ploy to reduce fertility in Africa, describing such claims as “ignorant” and “misinformed.”
Also speaking, Dr. Ekong Udoh, Senior Associate Researcher with Cochrane Nigeria, described cholera as an acute diarrhoeal infection that remains endemic in Nigeria, with high mortality and morbidity rates.
“Cholera continues to be a significant global health threat, and climate change is making it worse by triggering more widespread and deadly outbreaks. Floods and increased rainfall wash sewage into open wells and water sources used for drinking. Open defecation remains a major problem in many communities,” Udoh said.
He revealed that between 2021 and 2024, Nigeria recorded more than 140,000 suspected cholera cases and 4,364 confirmed deaths. Udoh called for a multisectoral approach to prevention and urged households to keep WHO-recommended oral rehydration solutions readily available. In emergencies, he advised using a basic homemade sugar-and-salt solution to rehydrate patients.
Similarly, Dr. Ekpereonne Esu, Associate Director at Cochrane Nigeria, highlighted the effectiveness of existing cholera vaccines and ongoing research into capsule-based alternatives. He noted that such innovations could help address challenges with cold storage facilities across sub-Saharan Africa.
