A non-governmental organisation, Save the Children, has said children form  37 percent of the over 450 confirmed cholera cases in Nigeria including 32 deaths as of October 1, 2024.

In a statement on Friday, the NGO stated that children under five are mostly affected, while thousands of children are still at risk of contracting the disease.

The NGO, which noted that the outbreak in the country “has a fatality rate of 2.9%, also nearly three times the minimum standard,” blamed the rise in cholera cases and deaths on flooding, contaminated water, inadequate sewage treatment, displacement and difficulty in accessing treatment.

“In Nigeria, the outbreak is linked to massive displacement triggered by widespread floods that has impacted 29 of the country’s 36 states, mostly in the northern areas,” the NGO said.

It added, “By 1 October, more than 450 cases were confirmed in Nigeria including 32 deaths, with children accounting for 37% of the confirmed cases. The situation was expected to worsen as rains continued in northern Nigeria in October, causing more flooding and displacement.”

The NGO’s Country Director in Nigeria, Duncan Harvey, who stated that the avoidable outbreak had already caused children malnutrition, urged authorities and donors to urgently save the lives of the most vulnerable victims, especially children.

Mr Harvey added, “Cholera outbreaks are preventable with proper infrastructure and hygiene practices. But the flooding in Nigeria is making life worse for the most vulnerable, especially the children in North-East Nigeria. The situation is putting food and clean water out of reach and malnutrition and disease are already rife among children. We call on governments and donor agencies to speed up actions to save the lives of children.’’

He also called on the public to take precautions and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms arose.

The NGO noted that about 16 countries in West, Central and East Africa had suffered flooding in recent months due to the impact of climate change with a United Nations data showing that floods affected over 4.4 million people in West and Central Africa in 2024 and over two million in East Africa.

The Save the Children however stated that it was providing victims in Nigeria with relief materials and household items, including medical supplies, drugs, and cholera kits in Adamawa and Yobe states.

“We are trucking water to flood-displaced communities, conducting hygiene promotion campaigns, and disinfecting water sources to improve access to safe drinking water among other interventions,” it noted.