Not fewer than 198 people have lost their lives, and 35,000 cases of cholera have been reported since May 2026 in Borno State.
In a statement issued by MSF to journalists in Maiduguri on Wednesday, MSF revealed that MSF supports two Cholera Treatment Centres and five Cholera Treatment Units – specialised facilities providing inpatient care for people with severe symptoms of suspected cholera – alongside 17 oral rehydration points which offer treatment closer to affected communities.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), in collaboration with the Borno State government and other humanitarian organisations, is currently struggling to cope with the surge in cholera cases as healthcare facilities are overwhelmed in Borno State.
” As of 12 July, the Borno State Ministry of Health (MoH) had reported more than 35,500 patients with suspected cholera and 198 deaths in the state.”
“Cholera is an acute bacterial infection of the intestine that spreads through contaminated food and water, causing severe watery diarrhoea and dehydration. Without prompt treatment, the disease can become life-threatening within hours.
Bienfait Tombola, MSF project medical coordinator in Maiduguri, says, “As of 12 July 2026, MSF had treated over 24,000 patients with suspected cholera since responding to the surge, with over one in four 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.”
Among those affected is 13-year-old Muhammad Usman, who was brought by an ambulance to the MSF-supported Cholera Treatment Centre (CTC) in Maiduguri after developing symptoms.
“He started vomiting, had diarrhoea and complained of stomach pain,” says Hadiza Ali, Muhammad’s mother. “Later, he lost consciousness. We realised it could be cholera.”
Muhammad is one of thousands of people affected since the first patients with suspected cholera were reported on 1 May 2026.
While many communities are aware of suspected cholera cases, understanding of how the disease spreads remains limited.
Kyari Ali, 65, sought treatment at the CTC after suddenly developing diarrhoea and severe weakness.
“Many people in my family and community have suspected cholera. I even have relatives who are also here in the treatment centre,” says Kyari. ” I don’t know how I got the disease; I don’t know how cholera spreads.”
MSF warned that in Borno state, northeastern Nigeria, thousands of people have been affected by a rapid surge in suspected cholera, leaving healthcare facilities overwhelmed. In contrast, healthcare workers struggle to keep pace.
