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Lassa Fever: FG Begins Campaign In Eleven States As 113 Die

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja

Safe disposal method and burning of lassa rats to avoid outbreaks.

As the lassa fever outbreak spreads, the federal government has commenced campaign in eleven States identified as high-risk areas, just as 113 persons have died from the scourge so far. 

The deaths cut across 27 local government areas in 11 States of Bauchi, Edo, Ondo, Benue, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Cross River, Ebonyi and Oyo. 

According to Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) report of 16th January,  2022; 96 confirmed cases and 11 deaths were recorded from 3rd to 16th January, 2022, in addition to 510 confirmed cases and 102 deaths that occurred from January 2021 to 2nd January, 2022. 

Lassa fever virus is transmitted by rodents (rats) that can be found in homes, motor parks, offices and even places of worship. 

Minister of State for the Environment, Chief Sharon IKeazor stated this at the flag-off of 'National Environmental Sanitation Response to Lassa Fever and Cholera Outbreak Prevention in Nasarawa and Kogi States' over the weekend. 

She was worried over the increasing number of reported lassa fever cases across the country, assuring that the ministry remains committed to ending the scourge in the country. 

Ikeazor stated that the ministry had taken proactive measures to improve the overall sanitation and hygiene situation in the country by establishing Sanitation Desks in all the 36 states of the Federation and the FCT, including the 774 local government areas, for proper monitoring and proactive measures on environmental health issues.

“This is in addition to the setting up of Environmental Health Surveillance Systems (EHSS) designed to strengthen cooperation between the states and federal government on environmental health and sanitation issues that aids information/data gathering and sharing between the federal, state and local governments." 

“Environmental Health Officers (EHO's) are also involved in the prevention and containment activities including surveillance/monitoring and reporting of lassa fever cases and other environmental determinant diseases to the Federal Ministry of Environment headquarters, Abuja", she added.

Ikeazor said the ministry had over the years collaborated with NCDC, World Health Organisation (WHO) and other stakeholders to contain the perennial lassa fever outbreaks in Nigeria. 

She enjoined Nigerians to keep their surroundings clean, keep food away from rodents, store grains and other food stuffs in rodent- proof containers and cook all foods thoroughly before consumption. 

The minister advised residents to block rat hideouts, carry out deratization, end consumption of rat meat and dry farm produce in hygienic environment free from rodents. 

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