The death toll resulting from the outbreak of cholera in Lagos State has risen to 24 from 21 earlier reported.

An update by the Lagos State Government on Friday indicated that a total of 24 persons have lost their lives to the disease as of June 19, 2024.

The report also said while a total of 417 suspected cases have been recorded only 35 cases have been confirmed so far across the 20 local government council areas in the state.

As of Thursday, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Kemi Ogunyemi, said that the number of recorded fatalities rose to 21 from 15. She also reported 350 suspected cases.

According to her, Lagos Island, Kosofe, and Eti Osa recorded the highest numbers.

Ogunyemi, while providing an update on the outbreak after meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) attributed the rise in cases to the Ileya festivities during which large gatherings occurred.

She, however, noted that suspected cases were subsiding across LGAs particularly in previously affected LGAs due to state government interventions and surveillance efforts.

The special adviser stated that the Lagos State Government, through the Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, was maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situation and implementing planned programs and activities to curb the spread.

“The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Environment and its agency, the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), continues to collect samples of water sources, food, and beverages to identify the source of contamination. We have also intensified our surveillance activities in communities, particularly in affected local government areas, to address the situation head-on.

“We are also working with the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education as well as the Ministry of Tertiary Education to ensure all precautions are taken in our schools to protect children and scholars as they return. Residents must, however, remain vigilant, practice good hand hygiene, and participate in community sanitation activities to stop the spread of cholera,” the Special Adviser stated.

She advised that citizens seek medical attention immediately if they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free of charge at all public health facilities.

While noting that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu remains committed to ensuring that residents of Lagos receive quality and affordable health care, the special adviser extended the gratitude of the state government to local, national, and international partners—including UNICEF, WHO, NCDC, NIMR, Red Cross, and others —for their support in combating the outbreak.

“Appreciation is also extended to the dedicated team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab scientists, environmental health officers, Water Corporation officers, surveillance officers, heads of agencies, members of PHEOC, and volunteers who are working around the clock to combat the disease and keep Lagos safe,” Ogunyemi said.

The Ogun State Government has also confirmed the outbreak of the disease which has claimed the life of a 62-year-old woman, and five persons hospitalised, according to the state’s Commissioner for Health, Tomi Coker.

Global Death Toll
Sadly, the World Health Organization (WHO) also confirmed a cumulative death of 194, 897 deaths and 1,932 cases globally as a result of a cholera outbreak.

A statement by the health organisation’s Eastern Mediterranean Region said the outbreaks were recorded from the 1st of January, 2024 to the 26th of May, 2024.

The cases were reported from 24 countries across five WHO regions with the Eastern Mediterranean Region recording the highest numbers followed by the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the South-East Asia Region, and the European Region.

No outbreaks were reported in the Western Pacific Region during this time.

“The global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV) was depleted until early March but exceeded the emergency target of 5 million doses in early June for the first time in 2024. As of 10 June 2024, the stockpile has 6.2 million doses. However, demand for the vaccine continues to outpace supply. Since January 2023, 92 million OCV doses were requested by 16 countries, nearly double the 49 million doses produced during this period,” it said.

By March, the UN health agency said it exhausted its global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines (OCV). Still, it was able to exceed “the emergency target of five million doses in early June for the first time in 2024”.

WHO reported that 16 countries requested 92 million doses of OCV since January last year – almost double the 49 million produced during that time.

It said it was working with other partners such as the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and others, to use resources to find long-term solutions for cholera.

The Agege LGA in Lagos has suspended food vendors in schools under the council as part of measures to curb the spread of the cholera outbreak in the state.

On June 11, Akin Abayomi, Lagos commissioner for health, said five people died while about 60 residents were hospitalised as a result of a suspected cholera outbreak in some parts of the city.

On June 15, the commissioner confirmed the cholera outbreak, noting that there have been 350 suspected cases, out of which 17 have been confirmed cases, with 15 fatalities.

As of Thursday, the number of cholera-related deaths in the state had risen to 24.

Ganiyu Egunjobi, chairman of Agege LGA, said the council has embarked on rigorous sensitisation to prevent the spread of the disease.

Egunjobi noted that market stakeholders and schools have also been sensitised over the radio on precautionary measures to ensure the disease is prevented in the community.

“We have suspended all school food vendors to ensure the safety of the pupils and students,” he said.

“We have informed both the pupils and students on radio stations to come with their foods to ensure their safety from the cholera disease.

“This development will allow us to detect and prevent outbreaks in our community. We are working tirelessly to prevent the menace of cholera outbreaks in our community.

“We are using various means to talk to our people, through landlord associations and others, to caution them on ensuring hygiene in preparing foods and drinks.

“We urge residents to acquaint themselves with precautionary measures against the deadly cholera disease outbreak.”

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2. Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has removed Chidi Awuse as Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers. Awuse, an ally of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, was replaced with the traditional ruler of Apara Kingdom, Eze Chike Worlu Wodo.

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6. An officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, whose name could not be immediately ascertained, was on Friday injured by a driver along Osogbo/Gbongan Road, near Osun Government Secretariat in Abere. The driver was said to be driving at top speed when FRSC officers at a roadblock near the Osun Sector Headquarters located along the expressway, waved him to stop.

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8. The Bauchi State Police Command on Friday urged for calm following the lynching of a man alleged to be an advocate of a religious movement. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakil, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Auwal Musa, confirmed that the incident happened on Wednesday.

9. The death toll from the cholera outbreak in Lagos State has risen to 24 with 35 confirmed cases, even as 417 suspected cases have been confirmed in 20 local government areas of the state. The State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, who confirmed the development on his X handle on Friday, said the update was from the Lagos State Cholera Outbreak Situation Report.

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