The death toll from Nigeria’s cholera outbreak has risen to 378, while the number of suspected cases has exceeded 14,000 since the outbreak began in January, according to the country’s health authorities.

At least 14,237 suspected cases have been reported in 35 out of 36 states as of 13 October, with a mortality rate of 2.7 per cent, the head of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Jide Idris, told a news conference.

Cholera remains a major public health challenge, especially in flood-affected states and due to poor water and sanitation infrastructure,’ he said, noting that the five northern states of Borno, Adamawa, Jigawa, Yobe and Kano have been identified as hotspots for the outbreak.