The Secretary to the Zamfara State Government (SSG), Abubakar Mohammad Nakwada, has commended the Zamfara State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC), frontline health workers, and partners for achieving a relatively low cholera fatality rate in Zamfara State.
Last weekend, the SSG met with PHEOC management led by the State’s Commissioner of Health, Dr Nafisa Muhammad Maradun, to review the status of the unfortunate cholera outbreak in the state.
|
|
During the strategic meeting, the State Epidemiologist and leader of the PHOEC Dr Ahmad Muhammad Gusau, presented an elaborate update, highlighting the trends of the outbreak across the 14 local government areas over the past 39 epi-weeks.
The data presented 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 the data from the National Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
|
|
|
|---|
Mr Nakwada said that this milestone is largely attributed to the effective case management strategies deployed by the State Government in collaboration with partners and stakeholders. He stressed that the 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.
Mr Nakwada took the opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the Zamfara State Government under Governor Lawal to implementing more effective preparedness and response mechanisms to mitigate future outbreaks.
Earlier, the partners commended the State Government for the prompt payment of counter-funding, provision of portable drinking water, and generally strengthening the capabilities of the state’s healthcare system.
