The Federal Government has launched the National Strategic Plan of Action on Cholera Control (NSPACC) for 2025-2029, a $124 million initiative aimed at eradicating cholera in Nigeria through a multi-sectoral approach.
The plan was unveiled on Tuesday in Abuja by Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate who emphasised the government’s commitment to cholera prevention, preparedness and response.
According to Science Nigeria, the launch event, hosted in partnership with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and international health partners, marked a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to combat cholera and safeguard public health.
Pate, represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Ms. Daju Kachallom highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated response to the frequent outbreaks occurring across the country.
“The Ministry of Health is collaborating closely with other ministries and partners to implement this plan, which is built on key pillars such as leadership and coordination, surveillance, case management, cholera vaccination, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), as well as public awareness and research,” he stated.
Pate stressed that eliminating cholera in Nigeria requires collaboration among government agencies, development partners, private sector actors, and local communities. “Cholera has been eradicated in other parts of the world – why is it still affecting Nigeria? We must act collectively to change this reality,” he urged.
He called upon stakeholders to commit to the implementation of the plan and to ensure the nation builds resilient health and sanitation systems to prevent future outbreaks.
Director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris stated that the NSPACC, led by the Ministries of Health, Water Resources and Sanitation, and Environment, aligns with the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) and the Global Roadmap to Ending Cholera.
Idris noted that the plan identified 134 hotspot Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 21 states, which account for 71.1 per cent of cholera cases and 65.6 percent of deaths, despite representing only 17.7 per cent of Nigeria’s population.
The key interventions under the plan include scaling up Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) coverage and improving WASH infrastructure to provide safe drinking water and sanitation, strengthening epidemiological surveillance and laboratory capacity, and enhancing public awareness campaigns on cholera prevention.
He indicated that the five-year plan requires $124 million, with an annual budget of $20 million primarily allocated to WASH initiatives, followed by OCV programmes and laboratory services.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Utsev, represented by permanent secretary, Mr. Richard Pheelangwah reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to expanding access to safe drinking water and improving sanitation to prevent cholera outbreaks.
The Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Lawal represented by Mr. Mahmud Kambari, emphasised the role of environmental health efforts in disease prevention, highlighting ongoing initiatives such as national sanitation programmes, environmental health surveillance, and routine water treatment.
It is important to note that the Global Task Force on Cholera Control (GTFCC) launched “Ending Cholera: A Global Roadmap to 2030,” aiming to reduce global cholera deaths by 90 per cent and eliminate the disease in at least 20 countries by 2030. In response, Nigeria developed the NSPACC to accelerate cholera control by 2029 through prevention, timely detection, and a multi-sectoral approach.
Following Nigeria’s commitments at the 71st and 75th World Health Assemblies, the Office of the Vice President was designated to coordinate the NSPACC and oversee the National Cholera Steering Committee (NCSC).
The plan aims to reduce annual cholera incidence and deaths by 90 per cent and lower the case fatality rate (CFR) to below 1 per cent by 2029.
The NSPACC was developed through multi-stakeholder consultations, with key workshops held in 2022 and 2023 to review and align it with GTFCC guidelines. A Validation Workshop in June 2023 finalised the plan, which was then endorsed by the GTFCC partnership.
The NSPACC is structured around nine thematic pillars, including leadership & coordination, surveillance, laboratory strengthening, case management, oral cholera vaccination (OCV), WASH, risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), logistics and research.
