Japan, WHO Provide $500,000 Support to Boost Nigeria’s Cholera Response

Japan, in partnership with the World Health Organisation, has delivered a $500,000 package of medical supplies, surveillance tools, training, and emergency preparedness support to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against cholera.

As part of the intervention, life-saving commodities worth $104,951 were handed over to the Federal Government through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) in Abuja. The WHO said the support is designed to improve Nigeria’s capacity to quickly detect, contain, and respond to outbreaks, reducing sickness and deaths.

Cholera continues to pose a significant health challenge. Between January 1 and August 31, Nigeria recorded 9,738 cases and 234 deaths across all 36 states and the FCT, with the North-East and North-West most affected. The WHO currently places the country’s Case Fatality Rate at 2.4 per cent.

At the handover event, WHO Representative and Head of Mission to Nigeria, Dr Pavel Ursu, said the donation came at a critical moment as cholera transmission remains high in communities lacking clean water and sanitation.

“I thank the government and people of Japan for their generosity. The $500,000 grant has catalysed interventions that protect vulnerable Nigerians and strengthen emergency response,” Ursu said. He noted that the cholera kit of 29 modules—including medicines, equipment, logistics materials, and renewable supplies can support treatment for 100 patients in the early days of an outbreak. It is one of 14 kits procured under the Japan grant, alongside thousands of oral rehydration solutions and other essential materials.

Ursu added that the supplies will be deployed to high-risk areas identified through surveillance, while the WHO continues to support laboratory capacity, case management, and hygiene promotion.

Japan’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Suzuki Hideo, said the commodities were procured under Japan’s Supplementary Budget Project on Cholera Preparedness and Response in collaboration with the WHO.

“The Government of Japan believes every life is precious and that timely action can prevent avoidable deaths,” he said. The support includes diagnostic kits, rehydration supplies, logistics assistance, and nationwide training for health workers through cholera readiness workshops.

He noted that Japan is also funding two additional cholera projects in Nigeria one with the UN Office for Project Services to equip the NCDC in Lagos, and another with the UN Industrial Development Organisation to train food vendors, water vendors, and waste workers in infection prevention. Together, the three projects total $1.72m.

NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the intervention aligns with Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control (2025–2029) and will strengthen detection, treatment, and rapid response at all levels.

He said the donations include central and periphery cholera kits, oral rehydration point kits, infection prevention materials, diagnostic tools, sanitation hardware, and logistics support for treatment centres nationwide. While acknowledging progress in diagnostics and vaccine deployment, Idris noted that antibiotic resistance and gaps in water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure remain key challenges.

WHO Emergency Team Lead, Ann Fortin, said 134 local government areas have been identified as high-risk, with interventions underway. “As of October 2025, all 36 states and the FCT have benefitted from cholera readiness training,” she said, adding that essential medicines valued at $104,000 have been procured and community-based surveillance strengthened in Kebbi and Sokoto LGAs.

She emphasised that although efforts target the 134 priority LGAs, the broader aim is to reduce cholera transmission and deaths across all rural communities.