26/08/2025
AN OPEN LETTER TO INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (INGOs) AND THE ZAMFAR STATE GOVERNMENT ON THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN BUKKUYUM AND GUMMI LGAs
Date: 26th August 2025
With due respect and urgency, I wish to draw the attention of the Zamfara State Government and our esteemed international partners to the worsening cholera outbreak currently affecting Bukkuyum and Gummi Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Zamfara State.
Current Situation
Bukkuyum LGA:
• Wards affected: Bukkuyum, Nasarawa Burkullu, and Zauma (7 villages).
• Total admitted: 158 patients.
• Discharged: 64.
• Currently on admission: 57.
• Fatalities: 1 death in Bukkuyum (female), 6 deaths in Zauma.
• Nasarawa ward: Outbreak reported today – figures pending.
Gummi LGA:
• Wards affected:
1. Unguwar Gamji – 26 cases reported, no fatalities.
2. Gabtu village – few cases reported.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is currently responding in Gabtu.
Urgent Concerns
The outbreak in Bukkuyum, with rising fatalities, presents a grave risk of further escalation if immediate interventions are not strengthened. The recent report from Nasarawa ward, with cases yet to be quantified, indicates the outbreak is still spreading. While MSF is already supporting in Gummi LGA, the scale of the crisis requires broader, coordinated support.
Appeal for Emergency Response
We therefore call on:
1. The Zamfara State Government to intensify its public health emergency response, including deploying rapid response teams, ensuring availability of cholera treatment centers, and coordinating WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) interventions in affected LGAs.
2. International NGOs (INGOs) and Development Partners to urgently provide technical, financial, and logistical support in the following areas:
• Immediate supply of ORS, IV fluids, and essential drugs.
• Expansion of Cholera Treatment Centers (CTCs) in affected wards.
• Safe water interventions including chlorination, water tankering, and distribution.
Mubarak Abubakar Bukkuyum
