NCDC STEPS UP CHOLERA SURVEILLANCE AS NIGERIA MOVES TO STRENGTHEN OUTBREAK RESPONSE

to strengthen cholera surveillance across the country, bringing together public health experts and international partners as authorities seek to improve the early detection and containment of outbreaks.

The three-day workshop, which began at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory in Gaduwa, Abuja, is focused on developing a comprehensive national cholera surveillance action plan.

Experts from the NCDC are participating alongside representatives from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Johns Hopkins University, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other health partners.

The NCDC said the initiative is designed to improve Nigeria's ability to identify cholera outbreaks earlier and respond more rapidly when cases are detected.

The programme is also focusing on laboratory capacity and broader health security, areas considered critical to identifying infections, tracking transmission and directing public health resources to communities where they are most urgently needed.

For Nigeria, strengthening surveillance is particularly important because cholera remains a recurring public health threat, with outbreaks capable of spreading rapidly in communities where access to clean water and adequate sanitation is limited.

The disease is caused by infection with the bacterium Vibrio cholerae and is most commonly transmitted through contaminated food or water. Severe cases can lead to acute watery diarrhoea, dehydration and death if treatment is not provided quickly.

Nigeria already operates disease surveillance systems designed to identify and track outbreaks, while the NCDC works with states to investigate cases, coordinate laboratory testing and support emergency responses.

The agency's mandate includes collecting and analysing disease surveillance data and supporting state authorities during outbreaks.

But strengthening those systems can reduce the time between the emergence of cases and the public health response, particularly in areas where laboratory capacity, reporting systems or access to health facilities may be limited.

The latest workshop builds on other preparedness efforts undertaken by the NCDC and its partners.

In August, the agency collaborated with the Nigerian Red Cross Society and the French Red Cross on a separate cholera contingency planning programme aimed at strengthening preparedness, coordination and the capacity of health teams to anticipate and respond to potential outbreaks.

Nigeria's vulnerability to cholera is closely linked to longstanding challenges involving access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

The NCDC has previously warned that inadequate sanitation, open defecation and limited access to clean water can increase the risk of cholera transmission, particularly in vulnerable communities.

While surveillance can help authorities identify outbreaks sooner, public health experts have consistently stressed that preventing cholera also requires sustained improvements in water and sanitation infrastructure.

The Abuja workshop is expected to produce an action plan that strengthens coordination between laboratories, surveillance teams and health authorities and improves the country's capacity to detect and respond to future outbreaks.

For the NCDC, the broader objective is to move more quickly when cases emerge, limiting transmission before outbreaks expand and place additional pressure on communities and health facilities.