About 179 people have died out of the 12,052 cholera cases recorded in Zamfara State, representing a 1.4 per cent fatality rate, which is lower than the national average of 3.3 per cent.

Commenting, the Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Mallam Abubakar Nakwada, said the significantly low cholera fatality rate in Zamfara State was due to the efforts of the Zamfara State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), frontline health workers, and partners.

Mallam Nakwada stated this during a meeting with the PHEOC, led by the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Nafisa Muhammad Maradun, to review the status of the ongoing cholera outbreak.

In a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant on Media, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, Sulaiman Ahmad Tudu, the SSG reaffirmed the commitment of Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration to strengthening preparedness and response mechanisms to prevent future outbreaks.

During the strategic meeting, the State Epidemiologist and leader of the PHEOC, Dr. Ahmad Gusau, who presented an elaborate update, highlighted the trends of the outbreak across the 14 local government areas over the past 39 epi-weeks.

The data presented, according to the statement, revealed that despite recording a high number of suspected cholera cases, Zamfara State has managed to keep its fatality rate below the national average.

“With 179 deaths out of 12,052 suspected cases, the state’s cholera fatality rate stands at 1.4%. Comparatively, as of September 2025 (epi-week 39), the cumulative national case fatality ratio was 3.3%, based on data from the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC),” he added.

The statement further said that the milestone is largely attributed to the effective case management strategies deployed by the State Government in collaboration with partners and stakeholders.

“These measures include activation of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs), active surveillance, establishment of Cholera Treatment Centres (CTCs), and Oral Dehydration Points (ODPs) across the state, among other critical interventions.”

While commending the PHEOC, frontline health workers, and other stakeholders for their dedication, the SSG urged them to intensify their efforts to contain the outbreak, lamenting that every data point represents a life at risk or lost to the infection that is threatening the state and the country at large.

The SSG reassured the commitment of the Zamfara State Government under Governor Dauda Lawal to implementing more effective preparedness and response mechanisms to mitigate future outbreaks. (The Guardian)

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