Healthcare facilities in Borno State, northeast Nigeria, are struggling to cope with a rapidly escalating cholera outbreak that has affected thousands of people, with humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warning that transmission is spreading faster than containment efforts.
MSF, in a statement on Wednesday, said the outbreak, which began with the first suspected cases reported on May 1, 2026, has placed enormous pressure on medical centres across the state, as health workers battle to treat rising numbers of patients suffering from severe dehydration and other complications.
According to the Borno State Ministry of Health, more than 35,500 suspected cholera cases and 198 deaths had been recorded as of July 12, 2026.
Among those affected is 13-year-old Muhammad Usman, who was rushed by ambulance to the MSF-supported Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) in Maiduguri after developing severe symptoms.
“He started vomiting, had diarrhoea and complained of stomach pain. Later, he lost consciousness. We realised it could be cholera,” his mother, Hadiza Ali, said.
Cholera, a bacterial infection transmitted through contaminated food and water, causes severe watery diarrhoea and rapid dehydration. Without immediate medical attention, the disease can become fatal within hours.
MSF said the surge has been fuelled by overcrowded informal settlements, inadequate access to clean drinking water, poor sanitation systems and weak waste management practices.
To support the government-led response, MSF has expanded its operations across Borno State, supporting two Cholera Treatment Centres, five Cholera Treatment Units and 17 oral rehydration points designed to bring care closer to affected communities.
The organisation said it had treated more than 24,000 patients with suspected cholera since the beginning of its response, with over 25 per cent presenting with severe symptoms.
“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,” said Bienfait Tombola, MSF Project Medical Coordinator in Maiduguri.
Beyond medical treatment, health authorities and humanitarian partners are also confronting challenges around public awareness, with many residents unaware of how cholera spreads and how to prevent infection.
Kyari Ali, a 65-year-old patient receiving treatment at the Maiduguri CTC, said several members of his family and community had contracted the disease.
“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.
In response, MSF and health authorities have intensified community sensitisation campaigns, trained healthcare workers, strengthened infection prevention measures and improved water safety through chlorination at key collection points.
A major oral cholera vaccination campaign conducted in early July with support from MSF reached more than 2.6 million people in affected areas.
However, health experts warn that long-term control of the outbreak will require urgent investment in clean water supply, sanitation infrastructure, disease surveillance and expanded access to healthcare services.
The outbreak has also spread beyond Borno State, with neighbouring Plateau State reporting 102 suspected cholera cases as of July 12, according to health authorities.
With health facilities under sustained pressure and new infections continuing to emerge, MSF stressed that expanding vaccination campaigns and improving access to safe water and sanitation remain critical to slowing transmission and preventing further deaths.
