The Cross River Government has disputed the inclusion of the state among those affected by the recent cholera outbreak, as reported by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Dr. Henry Ayuk, the Commissioner for Health, clarified in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar that there have been no reported cases of cholera in the state since January 29th, when a single fatality occurred.
Dr. Ayuk expressed disbelief over the NCDC’s decision to include Cross River in the list of affected states, attributing it to outdated data. He emphasized, “I don’t know where they got their information from, but I can tell you that there is no case of cholera here since the last one we had in January when one life was lost.”
Despite the disagreement, the commissioner assured that the state has activated a response team and heightened surveillance measures in anticipation of any potential cholera outbreak. He mentioned that efforts are focused on riverine areas and identified hotspots like Etung, Abi, Obubura, Biase, and parts of Yakurr Local Government Areas.
The NCDC had earlier reported a total of 2,102 suspected cholera cases and 63 deaths across multiple states in Nigeria, including those listed alongside Cross River.