In many Nigerian communities, the bush behind the house, the gutter or the riverbank is still the toilet. When the rain comes, it all washes towards the well.
That is how cholera spreads. The bacteria leave the body in faeces and come back through water and food. UNICEF says about 48 million Nigerians, including 18 million children, practise open defecation, and more than 95 million lack basic sanitation.
It shows. By late August, NCDC had counted more than 65,000 suspected cholera cases across 35 states this year, most in Borno. “We cannot treat our way out of cholera,” said NCDC Director General Jide Idris.
The fix is not only for the rainy season. Landlords can build and maintain toilets and keep pits away from wells. Households can boil or treat drinking water and wash hands with soap. Read why this year’s cholera outbreak is not over.
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
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