16 die, 172 hospitalized as cholera hits Maiduguri IDPs camp

MAIDUGURI—Cholera outbreak in three Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, camps within Maiduguri, Borno State, have left 16 people dead and 172 in critical conditions, with World Health Organization, WHO, and UNICEF battling the epidemic.



Children collect stagnant water for use at home in Harare Photo: AP

However, Information Officer of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Mallam Abdulkadir Ibrahim, in a telephone interview, said it was not an outbreak of cholera, but reported cases of diarrhoea and vomiting.

NEMA is the sole agency in charge of feeding the IDPs since inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.

The affected camps are those housing IDPs from Mafa along Dikwa/Ngala Road.

Health officials at the camp told Vanguard that so far, 16 people had died of the outbreak, while 172 were in serious condition as they work with international organization to bring the situation under control.

One of the health officials working with UNICEF told Vanguard, yesterday: “The situation at the camps is terrible. It was sudden and already a large number has been affected.

“At the last count, we have 16 dead and about 172 affected. We are in an emergency health situation in those camps.”
Damage control

It was also gathered that the affected IDPs were prevented from leaving the camp by security agents in a move to prevent spread of the disease into the metropolis until the situation is brought under control.

Also, those affected have been separated from the unaffected, and all the IDPs are being treated with preventive medicine.

Another medical official said: “The camps were unkept, unclean and with all sort of waste all over which informed the outbreak and encouraged its wild-fire spread.

“We are doing everything possible to ensure that we control the spread. We encourage the IDPs to ensure cleanliness.”