The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (USCDC) and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) have deployed a rapid response team to Zamfara State to help combat a cholera outbreak.

Since the outbreak in January 15, the state has recorded more than 11,000 cases with a 1.6 per cent case fatality rate, the Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Health, Suleiman Isah, said in a statement on Friday.

According to the statement, all 14 local government areas have been affected, with over 60 per cent of cases reported in the Talata Mafara, Gusau, Bungudu and Zurmi areas.

Worsened By Insecurity

The outbreak, worsened by insecurity and humanitarian challenges, poses a major public health concern.

To strengthen the response, seven Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme residents and one graduate were deployed for 14 days in high-burden areas.

Their mandates include supporting surveillance and case management to control the outbreak while coordinating with the State PHEOC.

In addition to the personnel, the CDC-AFENET also delivered 29,500 essential medical items.

These included 40,000 medicines like oral rehydration salts, Ringer’s lactate, dextrose water, and normal saline.

The delivery also contained 3,900 consumables such as IV cannulas, gloves, and cotton wool, 500 infection prevention and control supplies like hand sanitizer and sodium hypochlorite, and 1,000 personal protective equipment items, including IV giving sets.

The rapid response team Lead, Ahmad Aliyu, presented the supplies to the state’s health commissioner, Nafisa Maradun.

Maradun described the support as “massive and one that will go a long way in controlling the outbreak.”

She assured that the donated items would be distributed judiciously to achieve the desired objectives. (Channels TV)

• Zamfara State Commissioner of Health, Nadisa Maradun, receives the supplies presented to the state by the rapid response team Lead, Ahmad Aliyu (Photo credit: New Telegraph)