Crisis Overview
In Maiduguri, Borno’s state capital, there are 4,536 cases of cholera, including 70 deaths, as of 30 October. The highest number of cases was reported during week 41 (5-11 October), when around 1,500 were reported. Around 260 cases were reported during week 39 (20-27 September) when the outbreak started. The number of cases reported per week has been decreasing since week 41, but there is an increasing number of severe cases.
IDP numbers are increasing in Maiduguri. They are living in overcrowded shelters with very poor WASH conditions and limited access to services. End of September, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) registered 58,000 IDPs in official camps, while the total number of IDPs is estimated at approximately 350,000 as of end October.
Poor WASH infrastructure and hygiene practices in IDP camps and local population heightens the risk of exposure to Vibrio cholera bacteria, making a rapid increase in the number of cases very likely.
Access of response organizations to locations beyond Maiduguri is severely constrained, making containment of the epidemic even more important. Several cases have already been reported from the periphery of Maiduguri and north of the city, and the high mobility of the population means the disease may spread further.
The cholera outbreak is affecting the Lake Chad basin, affecting Niger (1,356 cases, 51 deaths), Chad (35 cases), and Cameroon (2,294 cases, 119 deaths).
Cholera has been endemic in Nigeria since 2009 and there have been regular outbreaks. In 2014, 33,229 cases of cholera had been reported in the country by 27 September, including 635 deaths.
