Flooding, Climate Change Increase Environmental Diseases Outbreak – Experts

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed over 2,000 cases of cholera in 31 states, including more than 600 deaths.

According to a report by NCDC, a total of 2,187 confirmed cases of cholera have been reported from 31 states and 233 deaths recorded from the 1st of January to the 25th of September 2022.

The NCDC, however, did not give the number of people affected by diseases or fatalities caused by the October 2022 floods in its report.

According to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), the deadly October 2022 floods in Nigeria killed over 600 people and displaced 1 million more, and led to a major increase in cholera cases and other preventable diseases.

The IRC said it has been working in Nigeria since 2012, providing life-saving support to communities affected by natural disasters, armed conflict and other poverty-related issues.

Babatunde Anthony Ojei, Nigeria Country Director at the IRC, said, “Nigeria has not seen flooding like this in more than a decade. At least 13 local government areas experienced a deadly cholera outbreak with more than 6,000 cases and a 4-5% case fatality ratio. The IRC needs more resources to scale up our health work to treat cholera patients and our water and sanitation programming to help us stop the spread.

“Having contributed less than 1% of the world’s global emissions, yet ranked in the bottom 20% of countries equipped to respond to the impacts of climate change, Nigeria is increasingly bearing the brunt of a crisis it did not cause. More frequent droughts and flooding coupled with a global economic crisis has led to increasing food insecurity. More than 1 million children in the northeast are expected to suffer from acute food insecurity this (2022) year, making them more susceptible to succumbing to diseases like cholera. The world, especially the countries contributing the most to climate change, must step up and help countries suffering its consequences.”

The outbreak of these diseases can be blamed on the flooding events, which are consequences of global warming/climate change, said Dr. Emmanuel Edward, Chairman of the Association of Public Health Physicians, Akwa Ibom State chapter, South-south Nigeria.

He stated this during an interview with me today, explaining that “scientists have determined that the extreme weather events experienced globally, including the massive flooding in Nigeria last year, are caused by climate change.”

He said the flood water interacts with preexisting poor sanitation on ground in most communities. “The flooding comes and interacts with existing poor behavioral practices that we are having within our context here where people dump refuse and feces in water channels. So, if you have flooding occurring in this instance it is also likely that there will be an outbreak of diseases like cholera and diarrhea. This is exactly what we can actually point at that is happening in many parts of the country.

“In the north of Nigeria, however, we are having cholera not because of flooding but as a result of the scarcity of clean water to drink.”

He talked about other emergencies that occur during flooding such as the invasion of homes by wild animals like snakes in their bid to escape the devastation of their habitat. They end up biting people who may die eventually because of the absence of anti-venom.

He said, “Climate change is playing its own subtle part. It may not be as overt as some people want to see, since they still don’t believe that global warming is responsible.”

On the trends of these diseases in the past and now, he said, “I may not have the statistics, but I know that Nigeria is an endemic country for cholera and we end up having epidemic episodes in certain parts of the country, especially in the northern part. Most of the outbreaks have resulted in mortalities and increasing mortalities. It has been proven over time that we have been having increasing cases of cholera each year.”

Another expert, Dr Deborah Enoabasi Anwana, who teaches Ecology at the University of Uyo, said, “Climate change, like science, is speculative in the sense that things have to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

“Perhaps some health practitioners will just tell you right away that there’s no linkage or connectivity between climate change and rising health issues, particularly what you’re talking about – fecal-oral diseases.

“But then, when you look at developing countries in the tropics, such as Nigeria, there are certain indices that show clearly that there’s a likelihood that there’s a connection between rising health issues and climate change.

“Now, let’s take our minds back to last year’s flood in Nigeria. You’ll give credence to NIMET, because it has already forewarned that there will be severe flooding in most of the states, particularly the coastal states.

“But of course it’s another ball game to talk about preparedness and response. You and I know that we were not ready for what happened last year. But then, when you look at our communities, and our cultural inclinations, you’ll see that some of the things we are doing do not take cognisance of the rise in sea level.”

She gave an example of Bayelsa State, a coastal state in South-south Nigeria that was underwater for over a month. “When you go to Bayelsa, it’s about 70% covered with water- it’s a place that I worked as a project officer more than 20 years ago – you will notice that they do not have sanitary toilets, they defecate in containers and throw the waste into the wetlands. This is a place where clean water for drinking is scarce and most people drink from the river.”

Anwana said she visited Bayelsa in 2022, after the flood, and as expected, all the fecal wastes thrown into the wetlands and from the pit latrines were washed into the communities. “Of course it will enter their available drinking wells and the river they drink from. They’ll definitely have escalated incidences of cholera. So, that’s the connection. Climate change has brought increased health issues. The sanitary facilities and water are not there and then the perception and attitude of people have not changed, there’s bound to be an escalation in the incidences of cholera and other health issues.”

Contributing their expert opinions on climate change and disease outbreaks were Professor Abiodun Olusola Salami, Department of Crop Production and Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; Dr. Temitope Oluwaseun Ojo, Department of Agricultural Economics, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife; and Dr. Olayinka Afolakemi Adeagbo, Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

On climate change and disease outbreak, these experts in their joint statement, said: “There are numerous direct and indirect ways that climate change impacts human health. For instance, rising sea levels, higher temperatures, and more frequent storms all have a significant impact on human health in terms of illness and injury (Ayoade, 2004).

“Global warming causes the sea and ocean levels to rise during the rainy season. Flooding may therefore occur, increasing the poor’s susceptibility to diseases such as malaria, typhoid, cholera, and pneumonia.

“Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns could spread disease vectors such as dengue, malaria, and diarrheal diseases more widely (Haines et al., 2006). People who experience urban flooding may develop mental illnesses or spread disease. Diseases are frequently brought on by Nigeria’s harsh weather, particularly in the northern section of the country (More, 1992).

“Heavy rains can create stagnant water, which in turn promotes mosquitoes that spread malaria to nearby residents. Although difficult to quantify, the indirect effects may include disease-carrying vectors, increased psychological stress and sadness.”