Lake Chad Basin Cholera Outbreak - Key Messages - September 2018

The Lake Chad Basin is facing the worst cholera outbreak since 2010. With more than 38,000 cases and 845 deaths officially reported in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria since the beginning of 2018, it is 15 times more than the average cholera caseload over the past four years.

It is crucial to contain the outbreak immediately to prevent it from spreading within the affected regions as well as to other regions and across borders. More than 6 million people live in the affected areas in Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria. Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali are at risk. In Nigeria, cholera is spreading in the northern states and likely to spread across the border into Chad. The disease is spreading in Niger’s southern Maradi region and threatens the capital Niamey. In Cameroon, the outbreak appears to be under control, but could re-emerge and spread to Chad.

Deaths could rise quickly. The current outbreak in the Lake Chad Basin is following the same pattern as the 2010 outbreak that affected 63,000 people and claimed 2,610 lives in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, and continued into 2011 with 64,000 people affected and 2,043 deaths.

Heavy rains and flooding in the region risk propagating the disease further. Twelve states in Nigeria have been affected by severe flooding since late August. The correlation between floods and cholera significantly raises the risk of a wider outbreak and could easily reach central Nigeria.

Governments and humanitarian organizations are stepping up response. WHO and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control have raised cholera alert level, triggering the mobilization of additional support. Ongoing emergency response involves treatment, health communication, provision of water and hygiene and sanitation assistance.

Vaccinations have been conducted in Nigeria’s Adamawa, Bauchi and Borno states, but further vaccinations are urgently required in the region.

Immediate action is needed to further scaleup the response and control the outbreak.
Rapid mobilization is critical to ensure that vaccines, medical and WASH supplies are made available. Humanitarian organizations require US$6.5 million for a six- month multi-sectorial emergency response and urge stronger financial partners’ involvement.

If not urgently contained, the outbreak could undermine achievements in eradicating cholera in West Africa. Many Western Africa countries have made great progress towards eliminating cholera in recent years (Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Senegal…), and the ongoing outbreak could significantly reverse the gains made if it is not brought under control quickly.