A cholera outbreak has been reported at Kirikiri Medium Security Prison in Lagos, with 25 cases confirmed, according to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi.
This development contradicts the Nigerian Correctional Service’s earlier claim that custodial centres nationwide were free of cholera.
The commissioner reported that urgent medical and environmental measures have been implemented successfully, and no new cholera-related deaths have been reported in the last 72 hours.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has also recorded 118 suspected cholera cases in Katsina State, although all tests returned negative.
The cholera outbreak has affected 31 states, with 1,528 suspected cases, 65 confirmed cases, and 53 deaths reported since the beginning of the year.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of a multi-sectoral cabinet committee to combat the epidemic.
The Lagos State Government has intensified countermeasures to eliminate transmission, and interventions are yielding dividends as residents adhere to public health information and advice.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has donated 10,000 doses of pharmaceuticals to support prison health facilities with prevention strategies for about 3,200 inmates.
Immediate water and sanitation issues have been corrected, and ongoing inspections of other correctional facilities in the state are underway.
The source of the original outbreak two weeks ago has been traced to unregulated street beverages and contaminated water supply.
The government has urged the public not to panic and expressed optimism that with continued collaboration, vigilance, and commitment from all stakeholders, the state is taking decisive actions to combat and control cholera.