Cholera spreads to Ogun as state records first death with 14 cases

Ogun State has reportedly recorded its first death from cholera following the death of a 62-year-old woman who was said to have contracted the disease from her sick son.

Five persons have been hospitalised as a result of the outbreak in the state and the son of the deceased is among those receiving treatment at the hospital.

Confirming the incident on Thursday, June 20, 2024, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, disclosed that 14 cholera cases had been reported from four local government areas in the state.

The LGAs are Obafemi Owode, Ado-Odo/Ota, Abeokuta South, and Ijebu North.

She said, “A 62-year-old lady who contracted cholera from her sick son died in Ijebu Igbo. Five others have also been hospitalised across four local government areas of Ota, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode, and Ijebu North.

“The cumulative total cases since last week are 14 with one fatality.”

Coker called on residents of the state to keep calm and maintain good hygiene. She also urged them to avoid drinking water from unknown sources.

“I want to call on Ogun people to keep calm and be on the alert for anyone with the symptoms of cholera. They should report any suspected case of cholera to our disease surveillance team,” the commissioner said.

Cholera and Poverty

Cholera is associated with poverty. Its spread in any country indicates that residents of the country lack access to safe water and basic sanitation.

According to the data by StatiSense, Ogun State has the highest percentage of multidimensionally poor people in the Southwest region.

The data indicates that seven out of 10 people in the state are multidimensionally poor.

Meanwhile, the disease has claimed 21 lives in Lagos.

The state government on Thursday said 401 cases of the disease have been recorded as deaths from the outbreak increased to 21.