Date: 30 November 2025
ABUJA — As the cholera outbreak in Nigeria continues to deepen, the Federal Government has made four emergency requests to the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision (ICG) for oral cholera vaccines (OCV), underscoring the urgent need to strengthen outbreak-response efforts.
According to data obtained from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria has recorded at least 22,102 suspected cholera cases and about 500 confirmed deaths as of October 26, 2025, indicating a case-fatality rate of roughly 2.3%. In just the final 28 days of that month, there were 1,320 new infections and 33 deaths a worrying spike that triggered the emergency vaccine requests.
The government’s request reflects mounting concern over a global cholera upsurge spanning 32 countries and five WHO regions — during which over 565,000 cases and more than 7,000 deaths were recorded. In response, the ICG makes available licensed vaccines for cholera (among other diseases), aiming to ensure equitable access in countries facing outbreaks.
This development aligns with the broader strategy adopted by the government earlier in 2025, when the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and health authorities launched a national cholera-control plan (2025–2029), prioritising improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), surveillance, treatment capacity, and vaccine deployment.
Still, public-health experts warn that while vaccines provide a critical line of defence, long-term control of cholera will require sustained efforts: ensuring access to clean water, safe sanitation, improved hygiene practices, timely outbreak detection, and robust healthcare infrastructure especially in high-risk and underserved communities.
Dalena Reporters will continue to follow developments in vaccine delivery, outbreak response, and government interventions and report on whether the requested doses are approved and deployed, and how the situation evolves in states hit hardest by cholera.