- UNICEF says 25,074 children are among 57,030 suspected cholera cases recorded across Nigeria
- Borno State remains the epicentre, accounting for 55,452 cases and 308 deaths
- The agency has raised $1.8m of the $25m needed to strengthen the cholera response nationwide
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it has secured $1.8 million out of the $25 million in flexible funding it urgently needs to support Nigeria’s response to the ongoing cholera outbreak.
According to UNICEF’s latest situation report on the cholera response in Nigeria, Eko Hot Blog gathered that 25,074 children account for 44 per cent of the suspected cases recorded nationwide, with Borno State carrying the largest burden.
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The report, covering the July to August 2026 reporting period, stated that 12,794 of the affected children were below five years old, while 12,280 were aged between six and 14.
UNICEF reported a total of 57,030 suspected cholera cases and 357 deaths across 35 states and 183 Local Government Areas, representing a case fatality rate of 0.6 per cent.
Borno State remains the epicentre of the outbreak, recording 55,452 suspected cases and 308 deaths across its 23 LGAs and 194 wards. Maiduguri, Monguno and Jere were identified as the areas with the highest number of cases, collectively contributing to the state’s heavy disease burden.
The agency said children, internally displaced persons, returnees and host communities remain particularly vulnerable to the disease.
UNICEF expressed concern over 105 deaths recorded in Borno communities, noting that the fatalities pointed to persistent difficulties in accessing treatment promptly and seeking medical care early.
On the funding situation, UNICEF said the $1.8 million received so far leaves a significant shortfall against its $25 million requirement for the emergency response.
The agency plans to dedicate $8.5 million to water, sanitation and hygiene interventions as well as infection prevention and control. Another $4.5 million is earmarked for cholera case management, while $3 million will support surveillance, laboratory services and information management.
Other planned expenditures include $2.5 million each for social and behaviour change communication and logistics and supplies, $2 million for oral cholera vaccine activities, $1.5 million for maintaining essential services and $500,000 for coordination and incident management.
As part of its ongoing response, UNICEF said oral cholera vaccination campaigns had reached 2,804,654 people, representing about 95 per cent of the targeted population in Maiduguri and Jere. Nearly three million vaccine doses were used during the exercise.
The agency also reported that 78 Case-Area Targeted Intervention teams carried out 8,808 interventions and reached 2,744 households affected by cholera. In addition, 411 water points were chlorinated, 165,803 households were disinfected and 147,117 households received Aqua Tabs to support safe household water treatment.
Hygiene promotion campaigns reached about 862,000 people, including 566,803 residents living in households close to reported cholera cases. Radio campaigns across six stations also delivered prevention messages to an estimated 3.6 million people.
UNICEF said more than 3,000 latrine drop-holes had been desludged, while six emergency latrine blocks were constructed and four boreholes rehabilitated at displacement sites.
In Borno, the treatment network consisted of four Cholera Treatment Centres, 31 Cholera Treatment Units and 56 Oral Rehydration Points, providing a combined 961 beds for cholera patients.
The agency said it deployed 97 surge personnel to strengthen the response, while the World Health Organisation trained 70 Emergency Medical Team members for deployment across eight LGAs.
Community referral systems and Case-Area Targeted Intervention mechanisms, together with approximately 5,000 referrals from Oral Rehydration Points, contributed to 55,372 patients being discharged after recovering from the disease.
Elsewhere, response measures varied across states. In Adamawa, suspected cases in Mubi North and Mubi South led authorities to activate treatment units and oral rehydration points, while preparations began for a reactive oral cholera vaccination campaign. A total of 312 response teams had reportedly been trained.
In Bauchi, authorities activated an Incident Management System and intensified case searches and laboratory testing. Kaduna also established an Incident Management System and developed an Incident Action Plan to strengthen case management and water chlorination.
Gombe, however, recorded no new cases during the four-week period covered by the report, although surveillance and coordination activities continued through its Emergency Operations Centre.
UNICEF attributed the continued spread of cholera to several factors, including shortages of trained health personnel and treatment capacity, weak community-based surveillance, limited laboratory testing, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation facilities, insufficient chlorination and shortages of essential medical supplies.
The agency also identified insecurity, restricted humanitarian access, misinformation and stigma as factors contributing to delayed treatment and care-seeking.
It warned that poor water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, seasonal flooding and displacement linked to the prolonged Boko Haram insurgency continue to create conditions that allow cholera to spread, with children below five and school-aged children among those most severely affected.
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