The Secretary to the Zamfara State Government, Malam Abubakar Muhammad Nakwada, has commended the State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, frontline health workers, and partners for achieving a remarkably low cholera fatality rate in the state.
Nakwada gave the commendation on Friday during a strategic review meeting with the PHEOC team led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nafisa Muhammad Maradun, to assess the status of the ongoing cholera outbreak.
Presenting an update at the meeting, the State Epidemiologist and head of the PHEOC, Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Gusau, revealed that Zamfara recorded 179 deaths out of 12,052 suspected cases, representing a 1.4 percent fatality rate.
The figure is significantly lower than the national average of 3.3 percent reported by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention as of epidemiological week 39.
He attributed the state’s success to coordinated response efforts, including the activation of Rapid Response Teams, intensified surveillance, establishment of Cholera Treatment Centres and Oral Dehydration Points, as well as prompt community-level interventions.
While commending the health workers and partners for their commitment, Nakwada urged them to sustain the momentum and strengthen preventive measures. He emphasized that every data point represents a life either lost or at risk and called for continued vigilance to completely contain the outbreak.
The SSG reaffirmed Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration’s commitment to strengthening public health systems, enhancing preparedness, and improving response capacity to future outbreaks.
Earlier, development partners at the meeting commended the state government for its timely payment of counterpart funds, provision of clean water, and support for healthcare infrastructure, which they said have contributed significantly to saving lives and curbing the spread of cholera in Zamfara.
