22/07/2026
198 Dead, 35,500 Suspected Cholera Cases Recorded in Borno-MSF Says
At least 198 people have died, while more than 35,500 suspected cholera cases have been recorded in Borno State since the outbreak began on May 1, 2026, according to the MSF.
The statement said the outbreak has spread rapidly due to overcrowded settlements, poor sanitation, inadequate waste disposal, and limited access to clean drinking water, leaving health facilities overwhelmed as healthcare workers struggle to cope with the increasing number of patients.
Among those affected is 13-year-old Muhammad Usman, whose mother, Hadiza Ali, said he was rushed to a cholera treatment centre after developing severe symptoms.
"He started vomiting, had diarrhoea and complained of stomach pain. Later, he lost consciousness. We realised it could be cholera," she said.
Another patient, 65-year-old Kyari Ali, said many people in his family and community had contracted the disease but admitted he was unaware of how cholera spreads.
"Many people in my family and community have suspected cholera.
I even have relatives who are also here in the treatment centre. I don't know how I got the disease; I don't know how cholera spreads," he said.
Meanwhile, Bienfait Tombola, Project Medical Coordinator, said the outbreak continues to outpace response efforts despite the expansion of emergency interventions.
"We have significantly expanded our response over the past two months, but the transmission is still spreading faster than efforts to contain it, mainly due to a lack of access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare," Tombola said.
Health authorities and humanitarian partners have expanded treatment centres, oral rehydration points, community sensitisation campaigns, and an oral cholera vaccination exercise that has reached more than 2.6 million people.
