The international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), has raised alarm over the escalating cholera outbreak in Zamfara State, warning that without urgent intervention, more lives could be lost.
The organization said it has recorded over 1,500 suspected cases from mid-June to early August in three Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities that it supports across the state, while other humanitarian actors and the MOH have also reported high case numbers in additional locations.
“This outbreak is unfolding in a context of insecurity, displacement, and limited access to clean water and sanitation – all made worse by the rainy season,” said Dr. David Kizito, MSF’s medical coordinator in Nigeria.
Cholera, which has long been endemic in Nigeria with its peak between April and October due to flooding that contaminates water sources. The disease causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting, and if untreated, can kill within hours.
To curb the spread, MSF has intensified its water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programmes alongside the state MOH, which activated a Public Health Emergency Operations Centre in July.
Critical interventions are ongoing in hotspot areas such as Shinkafi, Zurmi, and Talata Mafara, where access to safe drinking water remains critically low.
Medical teams have expanded treatment services across the state. In Zurmi, a Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) at the General Hospital has treated 562 suspected cases between June 16 and August 5. Shinkafi General Hospital recorded about 401 cases between July 11 and August 5, including 58 from Isa LGA in Sokoto State. Talata Mafara General Hospital’s Cholera Treatment Unit (CTU) managed over 600 cases between July 1 and August 8, with Kayaye reporting the highest number.
Dr. Ahmad Bilal, MSF head of mission in Nigeria, urged residents to adopt simple but effective preventive measures such as boiling water, washing hands regularly, eating freshly prepared meals, avoiding open defecation, and ensuring vaccinations are up to date.
“As cholera continues to threaten lives across Zamfara, MSF remains committed to working with communities, health authorities, and other partners to ensure timely treatment and prevention,” Dr. Kizito added.
He stressed the need for decentralised oral rehydration points, equipping all primary healthcare centres to treat mild cases, and rolling out urgent cholera vaccinations to halt transmission.
“No one should die from a preventable disease,” he said.
