AT LEAST 90 people have died and more than 12,000 others have been infected in a rapidly spreading cholera outbreak in Borno State, the Reuters news agency quoted the United Nations to have said on Thursday.
The cholera epidemic underscores the vulnerability of a state still contending with years of conflict and displacement.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the death toll had risen from 74 reported fatalities, while the number of infections had surged from about 7,800 cases recorded earlier in the outbreak, which began in early May.
Aid agencies are scaling up cholera treatment, disease surveillance and access to safe water in support of government efforts to contain the outbreak.
OCHA said a $4 million injection from its managed humanitarian funds was helping to strengthen the emergency response, but warned that additional resources were urgently needed to expand prevention measures and lifesaving treatment.
Nearly two decades of conflict have damaged health facilities, disrupted water and sanitation systems and displaced millions of people, creating conditions that facilitate the spread of waterborne diseases.
Health officials and humanitarian organisations say overcrowded settlements, including camps for internally displaced people, limited access to clean drinking water and poor sanitation have contributed to the rapid transmission of the disease.
The onset of the rainy season has further heightened the risk by contaminating water sources and accelerating the spread of infection.
The outbreak has expanded at a striking pace. State authorities reported just over 3,000 cases and 37 deaths in late May. Within weeks, infections more than tripled, highlighting the challenges facing health workers attempting to contain the disease in a region with fragile healthcare infrastructure.
Cholera, an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingesting contaminated food or water, can kill within hours if left untreated.
However, it is highly preventable and treatable through access to clean water, sanitation, oral rehydration therapy and prompt medical care.
Humanitarian agencies are responding by expanding treatment centres, increasing community awareness campaigns, improving water and sanitation services, and strengthening disease monitoring systems.
Nonetheless, aid officials warn that sustained funding will be essential to prevent the outbreak from worsening and spreading further.
The crisis in Borno also reflects a broader resurgence of cholera across parts of Africa, where conflict, displacement, climate-related shocks and inadequate water infrastructure continue to fuel recurrent outbreaks.
Public health experts say long-term control will require not only emergency interventions but also substantial investment in clean water systems, sanitation facilities and resilient healthcare services.
