The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported 63 deaths and 2,102 suspected cases in the ongoing cholera epidemic. Dr. Jide Idris, the Director-General of NCDC, provided these figures during a news conference in Abuja.

As of June 30, cholera cases have been recorded across 33 states and 122 local government areas, with a case fatality rate of 3.0 percent. The top affected states include Lagos, Bayelsa, Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi, Katsina, Cross River, Ebonyi, Rivers, and Delta.

Idris highlighted the lack of sanitation and access to safe water as major contributing factors to the outbreak. He noted that only 123 of 774 local government areas in Nigeria are open defecation-free, with more than 48 million Nigerians practicing open defecation.

The NCDC urged improvements in sanitation and access to clean water to combat the spread of cholera, stressing the importance of maintaining toilet facilities and ensuring basic water, sanitation, and hygiene services in schools, health facilities, motor parks, and markets.