Cholera is a dangerous diarrhoeal infection caused by contaminated food or water. Though treatable with rehydration and antibiotics, it can become fatal within hours if left untreated.
Chief Scientific Officer Ayodele Babalola stated that the training was designed to equip WASH officers with the skills to manage cholera emergencies and implement effective prevention strategies. Trained officials would step down knowledge in their communities, encouraging hygiene behaviour change and helping states adopt new approaches for preventing cholera outbreaks.
Participants were trained in water treatment, containment of cholera spread, and disinfection services at individual, group, facility, and community levels. The programme integrated community engagement, promoted innovation, and introduced standardised procedures, alongside strengthening policies to support faster progress toward universal sanitation coverage.
Participants gained skills in data analysis, reagent preparation, outbreak response, and WASH programme design with improved monitoring, evaluation, and data management practices. The training targeted officials from cholera-prone LGAs in Sokoto and Zamfara, which remain among Nigeria’s states with consistently high cholera incidence rates. Key players, MDAs, CSOs, and frontline responders were involved to build collaborative momentum toward eradicating cholera in the two northwestern Nigerian states.
The National Coordinator of NEWSAN, Attah Benson, urged local and state governments to prioritise WASH programmes and increase their budgetary commitments for cholera response and prevention. He called for dedicated emergency funds to enable rapid response during outbreaks, stressing that this would help stakeholders implement proactive and effective measures for public health emergencies.
Access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene remains the most powerful tool against cholera, with vaccines serving only as a secondary preventive measure. Ending open defecation demands joint action from all stakeholders, reinforced by strong political will and the timely release of allocated funds by state authorities. The workshop was described as a vital opportunity to enhance the skills of rural frontline workers, helping them better respond to outbreaks and strengthen WASH services in underserved areas.