A severe cholera outbreak in Borno State has worsened dramatically, with more than 35,500 suspected cases and 198 deaths reported, placing heavy strain on local health services.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, sounded the alarm over the rapid spread, which began in early May and has overwhelmed facilities in overcrowded informal settlements with poor access to clean water and sanitation.
The humanitarian organisation said it has treated more than 24,000 patients with suspected cholera as of mid-July, with over one in four arriving in critical condition. The disease has also reached neighbouring Plateau State, where 102 suspected cases have been recorded.
“We have significantly expanded our response over the past two months, but the transmission is still spreading faster than efforts to contain it, mainly due to a lack of access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare,” said Bienfait Tombola, MSF Project Medical Coordinator in Maiduguri.
MSF is supporting multiple treatment centres and oral rehydration points while aiding a vaccination campaign that reached over 2.6 million people in early July. Despite these measures, limited public awareness continues to hinder containment
One patient, 13-year-old Muhammad Usman, was rushed to an MSF-supported centre after severe symptoms. His mother, Hadiza Ali, noted the family only realised the cause when his condition turned critical.
Health officials and aid groups have called for urgent improvements in water access, sanitation, surveillance and further vaccinations to stem the outbreak, which is driven by contaminated food and water in vulnerable communities.
