Lassa Fever Kills 132 in Four Months, Says FG

The federal government has said it will begin the enforcement of environmental sanitation to reduce the increasing prevalence of Lassa fever across the country.

It stated that latest statistics reveal that there have been 681 confirmed cases of Lassa fever from 23 States with 132 deaths recorded since the beginning of the year. advertisement

It urged stakeholders, especially at the state level to ensure that citizens have access to portable, safe and clean water, while ensuring that environmental sanitation is enforced to reduce the prevalence of diseases like cholera, Lassa etc.

Speaking during the briefing on the update of COVID-19 pandemic response and developments in the health sector, Minister of State for Health, Dr Olorunnimbe Mamora, said: “As of April 10, 2022, 4,969,571 persons have been tested for COVID-19 using the PCR or Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT). There has been an increase in Lagos State, decline in FCT, stability in three states – Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers, while in the other states, it has been a bit difficult to ascertain. “As of April 11, 2022, reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) revealed that about 255,468 Nigerians tested positive to the virus, with 2,719 cases bing active, while 249,607 people have been treated and discharged. Sadly, so far, we have recorded 3,142 deaths. The FG has commenced planning on scaling up sequencing by the end of April 2022.

 “Lassa fever confirmed cases seem to be on the rise as the present fatality rate is 19.1 per cent. There have been 3,746 suspected cases in 23 States and 681 confirmed cases, with 132 deaths recorded. Part of the government’s response to lassa fever is there enforcement of environmental sanitation and the focus on long-term improvement of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities to eliminate or reduce cholera.

“The NPHCDA has confirmed that nationally, 60 per cent of those that have received their first dose of the vaccine have returned to take their second doses, and it is making conscious efforts to reduce wastage rate of vaccine.

“Despite all efforts a lot has to be done to reach the 50 per cent eligible population to be vaccinated by the second quarter of the year 2022. The eligible population targeted is 111,776,503.

“The point of entry records high compliance with PCR results on arrival for in-bound states, especially in Lagos and Abuja, and negligible number if passengers that seek PCR tests on arrival. However, little resistance have been noticed in Kano and Enugu, with passengers not wanting to pay for their PCR tests.”

The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa, added: “Concerning cholera, we are working behind the scenes with partners to prepare and drive the investments in water, sanitation and hygiene that are needed to prevent the kind of outbreaks that we witnessed in 2021. We do not want Nigeria to set the record as the country with the highest number of cholera cases in 2021 and to do that again in 2022.”