Nigeria: Cholera Outbreak Deepens in Borno, 37 Dead As Senators Demand Emergency National Response

ABUJA --SENATORS from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the aegis of the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) have commiserated with victims of Cholera Outbreak in Borno State, calling for an immediate action against the disease.

The fast-spreading cholera outbreak in Borno State has killed 37 people and infected more than 3,000 others across seven local government areas, prompting urgent calls from northern lawmakers for a coordinated national emergency response.

In a statement issued yesterday night in Abuja, the Chairman of the forum, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar'Adua, APC, Katsina Central, the Northern Senators described the outbreak as a "serious and unfolding public health emergency" requiring immediate and sustained intervention from federal and state authorities.

The Senators expressed deep concern over the spread of the disease in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area, which have emerged as the epicentres of the outbreak, with infections also reported in Mafa, Konduga, Monguno, Ngala and Magumeri.

According to them, rising case numbers are already putting pressure on health infrastructure, particularly in communities with limited access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene services.

The Senators have urged the Federal Government to deploy emergency medical teams, strengthen disease surveillance systems, and supply essential treatment materials to affected areas to curb further deaths.

The Upper Chamber has also called for urgent rollout of oral cholera vaccines in high-risk locations, especially internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, which they identified as particularly vulnerable due to overcrowding and poor sanitation conditions.

The lawmakers have said that beyond immediate medical response, there was also the need for large-scale water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions, warning that contaminated water sources and unsafe waste disposal practices remain key drivers of transmission.

They further called for an aggressive public awareness campaign to educate residents on preventive measures, including proper handwashing, safe food handling, and early reporting of symptoms to health facilities.

While acknowledging the efforts of the Borno State Ministry of Health and international partners such as the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières, the Forum insisted that only a stronger federal emergency intervention can prevent the outbreak from worsening.

The development comes amid growing concerns from health experts that recurring cholera outbreaks i