Cholera Outbreak Hits Sokoto, Government Launches Rapid Response

The Sokoto State Government says it has activated an emergency response following a cholera outbreak reported across 12 local government areas of the state.

The outbreak, first detected earlier this week, triggered the swift deployment of health personnel and essential medical supplies to affected communities.

A senior official at the State Ministry of Health, Biliyaminu Sifawa, who spoke on behalf of the Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Development Centre, confirmed on Thursday that health workers were dispatched to Primary Health Centres within 24 hours of receiving the alert.

“Our health workers acted immediately to stabilise patients and ensure that necessary drugs and consumables were available in all affected facilities,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

Sifawa added that the state has intensified community sensitisation on hygiene practices, safe water handling and the risks of open defecation measures considered vital in curbing further spread of the disease.

The Head of the UNICEF Field Office in Sokoto, Micheal Juma, said the agency is supporting the state’s response across all 12 affected LGAs: Binji, Dange-Shuni, Gada, Goronyo, Gwadabawa, Kebbe, Kware, Silame, Sokoto North, Sokoto South, Tureta and Wamakko.

According to Juma, UNICEF has delivered 20 cartons of Aqua Tabs, 577 cholera kits, 289 WASH dignity kits, six drums of chlorine, and other lifesaving supplies. “This support was made possible through funding from SIDA and the United States Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance,” he added.

Sokoto and several other states in the northwest continue to battle recurring cholera outbreaks driven by unsafe water sources and poor sanitation conditions, particularly during the rainy season.

State officials say surveillance and case management efforts are ongoing as health workers work to contain the spread across vulnerable communities.