Nigeria, Oct. 14 -- It started with a sharp pain in Musa Saidu's stomach.

The 20-year-old initially thought little of it. But the pain was soon followed by fever, vomiting and frequent watery stools. Within hours, his condition had deteriorated.

This was August 2025, during a cholera outbreak in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State, where Mr Saidu and his family were living after fleeing their home in Dan Bago village following attacks by bandits.

Like thousands of people displaced by years of insecurity in the state, the family had already lost the stability of home. Now, as Mr Saidu became increasingly ill, they faced another problem: getting medical care.

His parents first tried what they could afford. They gave him some...