Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has expressed concern over the rising number of cholera cases in Zamfara State, calling for action to avert more loss of lives.
The medical humanitarian organisation, also known as Doctors Without Borders, raised the alarm in a statement it issued on Thursday.
MSF’s Medical Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr David Kizito, said that already, more than 1, 500 cases from three medical facilities the MSF had been supporting in the state.
He added that other humanitarian actors and the state’s Ministry of Health had also reported high incidence rates in other parts of Zamfara.
He said MSF had focused its response on hotspot areas such as Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Talata Mafara, where access to safe water remains critically low.
According to him, while cholera has been endemic in Nigeria for decades, seasonal outbreaks often intensify between April and October.
‘’Flooding during the period contaminates water sources, accelerating the spread of the disease in areas with poor sanitation.
“Cholera causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, and if untreated, can lead to rapid dehydration and death within hours,” he said.
Kizito also said that MSF had scaled up its Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions and health promotion activities.
This, he said, was alongside other humanitarian actors and the ministry of health, which activated a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) on July 3.
On expansion of cholera treatment, he said that MSF had began services in the state in mid-June, following the first suspected case at one of its supported facilities.
According to him, this included boosting case management and surveillance, alongside scaled-up WASH activities.
‘’In Zurmi, MSF and other humanitarian actors supported the ministry in opening a Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) at Zurmi General Hospital.
’’In July, it also assisted the ministry in setting up a Cholera Treatment Unit (CTU) at Talata Mafara General Hospital and a CTC at Shinkafi General Hospital,’’ he said.
Kizito said that between June 16 and August 5, the Zurmi CTC reported 562 suspected cases, mostly from Yambuki, Kadamusa, and Zurmi town.
He added that in Shinkafi General Hospital, about 401 cases were recorded between July 11 and August 5, and the worst-affected areas being Shinkafi North Ward, particularly Alkalawa, Sabon Gari, and Kurya.
He further said that 58 cases came from Isa LGA which has a border with Sokoto state.
‘’At the Talata Mafara CTU, more than 600 cases were recorded between July 1 and August 8, with Kayaye accounting for the highest percentage; cases also came from Anka and Bakura LGAs,’’ he said.
MSF’s Medical Coordinator in Nigeria said the outbreak was unfolding in a context of insecurity, displacement, and limited access to clean water and sanitation.
The situation, he said, was exacerbated by the rainy season.
He, however, assured of MSF’s continuous commitment to working alongside communities, health authorities, and other partners to ensure timely treatment, prevention, and support.
“MSF emphasises the importance of setting up decentralised oral rehydration points and enabling all existing primary healthcare centres to treat mild and moderate suspected cholera cases.
“This will ensure timely treatment, reduce complications, and allow prompt referral to dedicated CTCs in hospitals such as Zurmi, Shinkafi, and Talata.
“Moreover, urgent cholera vaccination is needed to halt transmission and save lives,’’ he said.
Kizito said that participation of everyone in Zamfara was needed to reduce the spread, stating, ‘’no one should die from a preventable disease.”
MSF Head of Mission in Nigeria, Dr Ahmad Bilal, encouraged abiding by certain hygiene practices to reduce the risk of contracting the disease.
“Access to safe drinking water through boiling, practising regular handwashing, consuming freshly prepared meals, avoiding open defecation.
“Also, keeping vaccinations up to date are straightforward yet highly effective measures to safeguard yourself and your family from preventable diseases”.