The Director General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. Ifedayo Adetifa has disclosed that Lassa Fever cases in Nigeria were on the rise despite Government’s interventions in curbing it.
Adetifa made the disclosure at a Press Briefing on Update on Covid-19 Pandemic Response and other Development in the Health Sector in Abuja on Monday, April 11, 2022.
TheFact Nigeria gathered that the country still needed to create more awareness about the disease especially in rural areas.
The NCDC Helsman pegged the Lassa Fever present fatality rate at 19.1%. He also announced that there were 3746 suspected cases, in 23 States and 681 confirmed cases with 132 deaths.
In response to this, Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunnimbe Mamora said, as part of Government’s response/Interventions to Lassa Fever, there are enforcement of environmental sanitation and focus on Long term improvement of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to eliminate Cholera.
On Covid-19, he said: “As at 10 April 2022, it has been recorded that 4,969,571 million persons have been tested for COVID-19 using either Polymerase Chain Reaction or Rapid Diagnostic Test.
“There has been increase in Lagos State, decline in FCT, stability in three States — Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers while others cannot be ascertained.
“As at 11th April, 2022 the reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveals that about 255,468 Nigerians have tested positive to the virus, there are 2,719 active cases while 249,607 people have been treated and discharged, while 3,142 have lost their lives sadly”, Mamora said.
Also speaking on Covid-19, Dr. Adetifa said Point of Entry records show that there has been high compliance of PCR result on arrival at inbounds States especially in Lagos and Abuja and a negligible number of passengers that seek for PCR test on arrival.
He however noted that little resistances were experienced in Kano and Enugu with passengers not wanting to pay for their PCR test.
“91.3% has been recorded for travel permit compliance in Lagos while FCT is following closely with 71.17%.
“Also, there hasn’t been any positive cases recorded for COVID-19 PCR test at the oil platforms.
“The case Management Pillar has recorded 31 new cases from 6 States (Kaduna, FCT, Abia, Rivers, Delta and Lagos having the highest number of cases ).
“As at 8th April, 2022, the total number of confirmed cases was 255,606, active cases was 2,746, total number of discharges 249,718 and fortunately no new deaths have been recorded in the past 7 weeks”, the NCDC Boss explained.
Speaking on the need to take personal responsibility for our health, Director, Family Health Department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Salma Ibrahim Anas said many of the diseases plaguing the country are almost 100% preventable, “to prevent Lassa Fever, we must reduce contact with rodents (rats) because, transmission is through contamination of our food, water anr cooking untensils with their faeces.
“Environmental sanitation, personal hygiene is also very important to prevent the spread of the disease. We must be conversant with its symptoms and report to the nearest Health facility for treatment”, she said.
