Nigeria is experiencing one of the strongest outbreaks of cholera in recent years: more than 2,300 people have died from possible cases at a time when Africa’s most populous country is trying to cope with epidemic outbreaks of various diseases, according to the Associated Press.
The cholera outbreak this year has resulted in more deaths than in the previous four years, and is complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Nigeria, there is an increase in cases due to Delta variants, and less than 1 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.
Nigeria is seeing one of its worst cholera outbreaks in years, with more than 2,300 people dying from suspected cases as Africa’s most populated country struggles to deal with multiple disease outbreakshttps://t.co/xfQ7YEpab0
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) September 14, 2021
According to the Nigerian Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of September 5, at least 69,925 cases of suspected cholera had been reported in 25 of Nigeria’s 36 states and in the capital, Abuja. Children aged 5 to 14 were the most affected age group, and the overall mortality rate was 3.3%, more than twice the national level of COVID-19, which is 1.3%.
This year, at least 2,323 people have died from possible cholera cases, but there are fears that those numbers could be underestimated, given the large number of communities affected by the disease in hard-to-reach areas.