The minister of environment Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar on Monday, August 23, 2021 claimed that the cholera outbreak has so far led to the death of 938 lives in 22 states in Nigeria.
Abubakar disclosed this at a press briefing to sensitize the media and general public on the Cholera outbreak in the country.
The minister in the news reported here, here and here added that the country has so far recorded 33,661 suspected cases of cholera.
He stated that the data of suspected cholera cases and mortality rate in Nigeria was gotten from the situation report released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“Latest situation report from Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) released on 10th August 2021 indicated a total number of 33,661 suspected cases including 938 deaths in 22 states and FCT (Benue, Delta, Zamfara, Gombe, Bayelsa, Kogi, Sokoto, Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Kebbi, Cross River, Niger, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Yobe, Kwara, Enugu, Borno, Kastina, Adamawa and FCT) with an increasing number of new cases in, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kano, Gombe, Plateau, Niger, Zamfara and Abuja FCT,” he said.
THE CLAIM
From the report, the following claims were deduced:
- The total number of suspected cases of cholera in Nigeria as of August 10 was 33,661.
- Cholera killed 938 people in 22 states in Nigeria.
THE FINDINGS
CLAIM 1: The total number of suspected cases of cholera in Nigeria as of August 10 was 33,661.
The FactCheckHub findings revealed that the claim is MISLEADING.
In a bid to verify the claim, the FactCheckHub checked the NCDC situation report dashboard for the Cholera outbreak in Nigeria and realised that the official data is quite different from what was quoted by the minister.
From the data, the document released for Week 31: 2nd August – 8th August 2021 revealed that a total of 37,819 suspected cases were recorded in the country.
The number is quite different from what was quoted by the minister, thus making his claim MISLEADING.
Against the minister’s claim that the data was released on August 10, the NCDC stated boldly on the data that it was curated on August 13.
However, the NCDC has released an updated report which puts the countries total suspected cholera case at 47,603.
The FactCheckHub findings revealed that NCDC did not at any time on August  10 release any data that puts the country’s suspected cholera cases at 33,661, thereby making the minister’s claim MISLEADING.
CLAIM 2: Cholera killed 938 people in 22 states in Nigeria.
The FactCheckHub findings revealed that the claim is MISLEADING.
The figure gotten from the NCDC situation report dashboard for the Cholera outbreak in Nigeria contradicts what was quoted by the minister.
From the data, the document released for Week 31: 2nd August – 8th August, 2021 revealed that a total of 1,178 deaths were reported from 23 states and FCT.
The number is quite different from what was quoted by the minister, thereby making his claim MISLEADING.
However, the NCDC has released an updated report which stated that 1,768 deaths have been reported from 23 states and FCT.
VERDICTS
The two claims by the Nigerian minister on suspected cholera cases and mortality rate are MISLEADING, as data gotten from the NCDC differs.
