FCT Activates Emergency Response for Lassa Fever Outbreak

Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

Amid growing apprehension over the spread of Lassa Fever infection across the country, the authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has activated an emergency operations centre to coordinate actions aimed at controlling the disease.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Mandate Secretary, Health Services and Environment, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said there had been no fatality resulting from Lassa fever in the FCT so far.

She said that FCT was activating a subnational level multi-sectoral emergency operations centre based on the risk assessment by subject matter experts from relevant ministries, departments, agencies and other stakeholders.

The health secretary said the purpose of activating the centre was to achieve a coordinated subnational response and interrupt the transmission as soon as possible.

Fasawe disclosed that the Director of the Public Health Department in the FCT,  Dr. Doris John, had been designated incident manager for the Lassa Fever while Dr. Lukman Lawal is the Deputy incident manager.

Fasawe said there was no need for alarm by residents but that basic precautions should be observed. She listed some of the precautions to include: Not exposing food to the possibility of rat droplets and early report of suspected cases to the nearest health centre.

She also said that clinicians in both public and private health facilities should have a high index of suspicion.

Fasawe further said that designated treatment centres are located in the National Hospital and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.

Speaking on detected cases in the FCT, Fasawe said that a 14-month female old child whose mother was diagnosed is currently in the treatment centre and responding to care while  another 15-year-old female who was confirmed on  of January 17, is also receiving care at the treatment centre.

According to her, both children are responding to treatment.

Speaking on the death of a Lassa fever infected child, Fasawe said that the incident did not emanate from the FCT.

According to her, the deceased was a confirmed case, diagnosed at the Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

“Following her demise, the father travelled on the 9th of January 2024 to Bauchi to bring back the two children who had accompanied their mother to Bauchi and returned to the FCT on the 12th of January, 2024,” Fasawe explained.

According to Fasawe, the father of the sick kids later presented the children to Bwari General Hospital on January 15  .

“The facility notified the Public Health Department and Public Health response commenced. The Public Health Department  investigated due to high index of suspicion and daily monitored them for symptoms. The result came back positive for the 14-month-old and negative for the 13-year-old.

“The 14 months old is currently on treatment and the 13-year-old is currently on prophylaxis (prevention).The second case unrelated case was reported by clinicians at the Abuja University Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada.

“The case is also positive and the child is receiving care. There haven’t been any mortality and the two cases are responding to treatment,” she said.

Giving further details on the two suspected cases of Lassa for in FCT, Fasawe said that on January 15, 2024, the FCT Public Health department received an alert of Lassa Fever from a clinician in Bwari General Hospital.

She said that a rapid response team was mobilised to investigate the cases, adding that the investigation revealed they were high risk contacts of their mother.

“Samples were collected and sent to the National Reference Laboratory, Abuja for confirmation,” she said.