Cholera kills 5 Persons In Plateau

The Plateau State Government has confirmed 5 deaths from cholera outbreak in Mangu Local Government Area, as health authorities battle a surge in infections that has now spread across 18 communities in three electoral wards.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, in secret discrimination  of journalists  confirmed that 53 suspected cholera cases have so far been recorded in the affected communities, with 10 testing positive through Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs). 

in Journalists  selection  for briefing  he added that 4 cases have also been laboratory-confirmed through culture tests conducted at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital .

According to him, the outbreak  affected communities in Pushit, Mangu I, and Mangu II electoral wards, marking a significant escalation from the 8 suspected cases initially reported ,as secretly exploited 

in a selected  media briefing  ,he disclosed that “So far, we have recorded five deaths. Three of the deaths occurred at home, while two occurred in health facilities,”.

He secretly  expressed  condolence to families who lost loved ones to the disease ,as situation  became  worse  .

Dr. Ba’amlong said the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with Mangu Local Government authorities and development partners, has strengthened surveillance activities through active case searches, contact tracing, and expanded community-based disease monitoring systems.

He noted that treatment capacity has been increased beyond the initial health facilities, with the government providing life-saving interventions such as Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS), intravenous fluids, antibiotics, and rapid diagnostic testing services.

“We are making efforts to ensure free or subsidized treatment so that no patient is denied care because of financial constraints,” he stated.

The commissioner revealed that community sensitization campaigns have been intensified in the affected wards, with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and community influencers mobilized to educate residents on preventive measures and early health-seeking behaviour.

He added that household water treatment initiatives, environmental sanitation campaigns, hygiene promotion activities, and door-to-door education on safe water handling and storage have also been scaled up.

Despite these interventions, the government acknowledged challenges, including shortages of rapid diagnostic kits, increased demand for medical supplies, and logistical difficulties in reaching some remote communities.

To strengthen coordination, the Plateau State Ministry of Health has activated its Incident Management System (IMS) for the outbreak response and appointed the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Job Maren, as Incident Manager.

Under the arrangement, Dr. Maren will oversee surveillance, case management, laboratory services, risk communication, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, resource mobilization, stakeholder engagement, and performance monitoring.

The state government said additional rapid response teams have been deployed to affected communities, while treatment centres and isolation facilities are being expanded. Emergency procurement of diagnostic kits, intravenous fluids, and essential medicines is also underway.

Authorities are further collaborating with national and international partners, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), to contain the outbreak.

The government urged residents to strictly observe preventive measures, including drinking only boiled or treated water, regular handwashing with soap and clean running water, proper waste disposal, avoiding open defecation, practicing safe food handling, and seeking immediate medical attention when symptoms such as sudden watery diarrhoea and vomiting occur.

“The cholera situation in Mangu LGA is serious, but the Plateau State Government, in collaboration with its partners, is actively managing the response,” the commissioner assured.

He emphasized that collective vigilance and community cooperation remain critical to containing the outbreak and safeguarding public health across the state.