The European Union has released €1.5 million in emergency humanitarian funding to Nigeria to strengthen efforts to contain cholera outbreaks, improve access to treatment and prevent further deaths.
The funding is part of a €2.3 million emergency package announced by the European Commission for Nigeria, Cameroon, the Central African Republic and Chad as cholera cases continue to rise across parts of Africa.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 61,888 cholera cases and 1,230 deaths were reported across 16 African countries between January 1 and May 31, 2026.
Nigeria recorded 6,860 cases and 80 deaths during the period, including 5,798 new cases and 54 deaths in May alone.
The EU said Nigeria’s allocation would support the deployment of additional response teams, provide essential cholera treatment kits and expand water, sanitation and hygiene measures in affected communities.
The funding will also strengthen disease surveillance, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, improve treatment of patients and increase public awareness about cholera prevention.
Public water points and household water supplies will be treated, while surveillance systems will be strengthened to ensure faster detection and management of new cases.
EU Commissioner for Preparedness and Crisis Management, Hadja Lahbib, said the funding was necessary because cholera continues to threaten communities without adequate access to safe water and healthcare.
“Cholera is preventable and treatable. Yet it still threatens lives when people lack something as basic as safe water and healthcare,” Lahbib said.
The EU said the programme would also expand community education campaigns to inform residents about how cholera spreads, how to prevent infection and the importance of seeking medical treatment quickly.
The WHO reported that the Democratic Republic of Congo had the highest number of cholera cases during the period, with 28,567 cases and 815 deaths. South Sudan recorded 7,712 cases, while Mozambique reported 7,500 cases.
Nigeria’s 6,860 cases placed it among the countries with the highest reported cholera burdens on the continent.
The WHO cautioned that the figures may be affected by under-reporting, delays in reporting and differences in disease surveillance systems among countries.
Cholera is an acute diarrhoeal disease caused by the Vibrio cholerae bacterium and is commonly spread through contaminated food or water. Severe cases can lead to rapid dehydration and death if treatment is delayed.
The latest EU intervention comes months after the EU and WHO launched a €4.2 million programme in May to strengthen selected Nigerian public health institutions and improve their ability to detect disease outbreaks and share information quickly.
With the new €1.5 million allocation, the immediate focus in Nigeria will be on containing cholera transmission, improving access to treatment, strengthening surveillance and ensuring vulnerable communities have access to safe water and reliable health information.
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