Senators from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), under the Northern Senators Forum (NSF), have expressed sympathy with victims of the cholera outbreak in Borno State and called for urgent action to stop the spread of the disease.
The outbreak has killed 37 people and infected more than 3,000 others in seven local government areas. Northern lawmakers described the situation as a “serious and unfolding public health emergency” that needs immediate intervention from both federal and state authorities.
The senators raised concern over the spread of the disease in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and Jere Local Government Area, the hardest-hit areas, with cases also recorded in Mafa, Konduga, Monguno, Ngala and Magumeri.
In a statement issued in Abuja, NSF Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (APC, Katsina Central), said rising infections were putting pressure on health facilities, especially in communities lacking clean water and proper sanitation.
The lawmakers urged the Federal Government to deploy emergency medical teams, improve disease surveillance and provide treatment materials. They also called for the urgent rollout of oral cholera vaccines, especially in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
They stressed the need for stronger water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) measures, warning that contaminated water and poor waste disposal continue to drive transmission. They also called for wider public awareness on handwashing, safe food handling and early reporting of symptoms.
The statement read, “We, the Northern Senators Forum, commiserate with the government and good people of Borno State over the tragic loss of 37 lives to the ongoing cholera outbreak… The health and safety of our people must remain our collective priority.”
The forum commended the Borno State Ministry of Health and partners including WHO, UNICEF and MSF, but insisted stronger federal intervention is needed to prevent the outbreak from worsening.
