The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued an urgent nationwide alert over the growing threat of multiple infectious disease outbreaks, warning that Nigeria faces an escalating public health emergency if immediate measures are not taken.
According to the NCDC, the country is currently battling a surge in cholera cases affecting 34 states, alongside fresh detections of yellow fever and dengue fever in several regions, while Mpox and diphtheria outbreaks continue to strain health systems.
In its latest situation report covering Epidemiological Week 26 (June 23–29), the agency revealed that Zamfara State accounts for 32 percent of the national cholera burden, with other high-risk states including Bayelsa, Adamawa, Delta, Lagos, and Rivers. Although specific case numbers were not disclosed, the Centre warned that the situation requires “heightened vigilance and intensified response efforts.”
The NCDC confirmed seven laboratory cases of yellow fever in Abia, Anambra, Edo, Ekiti, Lagos, and Rivers States, noting that even a single confirmed infection meets the threshold for an outbreak under international health regulations. The agency also reported a dengue fever outbreak in Edo State, detected between June 9 and 13, raising concerns of further mosquito-borne disease spread driven by poor sanitation and climate factors.
“This convergence of outbreaks is occurring at a time when Nigeria is still managing Mpox and diphtheria, putting additional pressure on health services,” the agency said. It urged citizens to take preventive measures, including improved hygiene, vaccination against yellow fever, and elimination of mosquito breeding sites.
The NCDC also advised Nigerians to seek immediate medical care for symptoms such as severe diarrhoea, persistent fever, joint pain, or unexplained bleeding, and warned against self-medication since yellow fever and dengue share similarities with malaria.
To contain the situation, the Centre announced it is coordinating with state governments, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, and partners to deploy rapid response teams, strengthen laboratory surveillance, and scale up risk communication campaigns nationwide.
“Nigerians must act now to prevent further loss of lives,” the NCDC warned, stressing that controlling these outbreaks will require urgent, collective action across all sectors.
 has issued an urgent nationwide alert over the growing threat of...){kind=link}