The Nigeria Center for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has disclosed that Nigeria has recorded more than 65,000 suspected cholera cases across 35 states and about 195 Local Government Areas (LGAs) since the beginning of 2026.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, stated this on Friday during a press briefing on the country’s response to the ongoing cholera and diphtheria outbreaks.
Idris, however, said weekly cholera cases had declined substantially from the peak recorded earlier in the year, while the case fatality rate was also significantly lower than the corresponding period in 2025.
He warned Nigerians and state governments not to interpret the decline as the end of the outbreak, noting that cholera transmission remained active and could worsen as the rainy season progresses.
According to him, cholera transmission in Nigeria has historically peaked between late August and October, while flooding could further increase the risk by contaminating water sources and overwhelming sanitation systems.
“Our experience in recent years shows that cholera transmission can peak between late August and October. We’re also still in the rainy season, and flooding remains an important risk because it can contaminate water sources and overwhelm sanitation systems,” Idris said.
He urged governments and communities to consolidate the gains recorded so far and prevent a resurgence of infections.
The NCDC boss identified early access to treatment as one of the key lessons from the outbreak, citing improved outcomes in Borno State, which recorded the highest number of cases, after treatment services were moved closer to affected communities.
He, however, stressed that treatment alone could not end cholera transmission. Unsafe water, open defecation, damaged water distribution systems, poor hygiene infrastructure, and inadequate sanitation in schools, markets, and other public places, he said, remained major drivers of the disease.
Idris called for sustained investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene, environmental health, and community behavior change to prevent recurrent outbreaks.
On diphtheria, the NCDC DG disclosed that Nigeria had recorded more than 10,000 confirmed cases in 2026, although the case fatality rate had fallen considerably compared with the same period last year.
According to him, Kano, Borno and Bauchi states accounted for most of the confirmed diphtheria cases, attributing the continuing burden largely to inadequate vaccination coverage.
“The central issue is that too many children remain unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated. Vaccine hesitancy, insecurity, hard-to-reach communities, displacement and population movement make it more difficult to reach every child who needs protection,” he said.
Idris described diphtheria as a vaccine-preventable disease and urged parents, caregivers, and state authorities to intensify efforts to identify and vaccinate children who had missed their recommended doses.
He said the NCDC was coordinating the national response with state governments and development partners through strengthened disease surveillance and laboratory capacity, improved case management, infection prevention and control, community engagement, and the deployment of National Rapid Response Teams to affected states.
He added that oral cholera vaccination had been conducted in high-burden areas, while water chlorination, rehabilitation of water sources, and hygiene promotion were ongoing in affected communities.
In Borno, NCDC teams had investigated possible transmission sources and assessed water supply points to identify gaps in water quality, sanitation, and chlorination.
In Bauchi, he said, oral rehydration points had been established, treatment capacity strengthened and active case searches intensified.
For diphtheria, reactive vaccination was being conducted in affected areas, alongside the provision of essential treatment and laboratory supplies.
Idris said the Federal Government could not single-handedly end the outbreaks, urging state and local governments to provide the human, material and financial resources required to sustain interventions.
He called for improved access to safe water and sanitation, regular water-quality monitoring, rehabilitation of critical water infrastructure, elimination of open defecation and functional treatment and rapid-response capacity in high-risk LGAs.
He urged states to strengthen routine immunization and targeted campaigns, particularly in underserved, affected, and hard-to-reach communities.
The NCDC boss clarified that Enugu State is the only state without a reported cholera case, but cautioned that the absence of reported cases shouldn’t be taken to mean the disease cannot occur there. He stressed that cholera could occur year-round but was often exacerbated by the rainy season. “Virtually all states have cholera. It may not be on an outbreak level,” Idris said.
- FG Activates Emergency Task Force Over Diphtheria In Katsina, Kano - August 29, 2026
- Fubara Awards Team Rivers Scholarships, Restates Commitment To Education - August 29, 2026
- Nigeria Records 65,000 Suspected Cases Of Cholera In 35 States – NCDC - August 29, 2026