At least 400 people have died from cholera and Lassa fever outbreaks across the country between January and September 2025, according to reports by the World Health Organisation and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
A WHO report, obtained exclusively by our correspondent on Thursday, revealed that Nigeria recorded 234 cholera deaths and 9,738 cases between January 1 and August 31, with a Case Fatality Rate of 2.4 per cent.
In the past 28 days alone, the country reported 2,926 new cases and 67 deaths, representing an 11 per cent rise in cases and a 56 per cent increase in deaths compared with the previous month.
Cholera, an acute diarrhoeal infection caused by consuming contaminated food or water, has been recurrent in Nigeria, often linked to poor sanitation, unsafe drinking water, and flooding
WHO noted that without long-term investment in water and sanitation infrastructure, the country will remain vulnerable to seasonal surges.
In its regional overview, WHO said Africa recorded 15,487 new cholera cases across 15 countries in August, with the highest figures reported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (6,562), Nigeria (2,926), and South Sudan (2,924).
The region also recorded 495 deaths in the same month, with Nigeria ranking third after the DRC (255) and Chad (82).
Between January 1 and August 31, 2025, the African Region reported 186,787 cholera cases and 4,194 deaths, with South Sudan, the DRC, and Angola worst hit.
WHO stressed that the global cholera response is being hampered by weak water and sanitation systems, limited vaccine supplies, funding gaps, and poor access in conflict-affected areas.
Meanwhile, the NCDC confirmed that 166 deaths from Lassa fever were recorded in Nigeria between January 1 and September 14, 2025.
The CFR now stands at 18.5 per cent, higher than the 16.9 per cent recorded during the same period in 2024.
As of epidemiological Week 37, the country had reported 7,673 suspected cases and 895 confirmed cases of Lassa fever across 21 states and 106 Local Government Areas.
The NCDC said, “In week 37, the number of new confirmed cases decreased from 13 in week 36 of 2025 to 11. These were reported in Ondo, Bauchi, Kogi, and Anambra States. Cumulatively, 166 deaths have been reported with a Case Fatality Rate of 18.5 per cent, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2024.”
Data shows that 90 per cent of confirmed cases came from five states — Ondo (33 per cent), Bauchi (23 per cent), Edo (18 per cent), Taraba (13 per cent), and Ebonyi (3 per cent). The remaining 10 per cent were spread across 16 other states.
The majority of cases were reported among people aged 21–30 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1:0.8.
The NCDC noted that no new health worker infections were recorded during the reporting week.
Both WHO and NCDC emphasised that while there has been progress in response efforts, challenges such as insecurity, supply shortages, weak infrastructure, and funding shortfalls continue to hinder effective outbreak control.
