The cholera outbreak causing grief in Nigeria

Yahanasu Rabilu Lawal has been grieving for her seven-year-old son Isma’il, in her one-bedroom house on the outskirts of the Nigerian capital, Abuja.

He died of cholera three weeks ago.

Mrs Lawal and her husband, a farmer, tried unsuccessfully to manage the disease at home, as they couldn’t afford to take her to hospital.

She says her son “continued to vomit profusely, through the mouth and through the nose. I then tapped him, calling him. But he didn’t respond. He was no more.”

He is among the 2,000 people who have died from cholera since the start of the year.

Nearly 60,000 people have been infected with the disease, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.

As the world grapples with the Covid pandemic, Nigeria is struggling to deal with the deadly outbreak of cholera.

The nationwide outbreak has been reported in at least 24 of Nigeria’s 36 states – including the capital.

Nigeria is a cholera-endemic country, according to experts, with outbreaks occurring almost every year especially during the rainy season. But this year’s outbreak is seen as particularly worrisome.

Cholera is one of the deadliest water-borne diseases. People catch it by drinking contaminated water and because of poor sanitation and hygiene.

The UN Children’s agency Unicef says only about a quarter of Nigeria’s population use improved sources of drinking water and sanitation facilities. It is also being made worse by people relieving themselves in the open.

Nigerian health authorities have been trying to control the spread by sending medical teams to the states as well as by treating water sources.

But experts say the authorities and the public must prioritise basic hygiene, sanitation and access to safe drinking water as long term solutions.

source: bbc