BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
L-R: Registrar of Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) Dr Yakubu Baba and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Mahmud Adam Kambari during a Ministerial press briefing on Monday in Abuja.
The Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) has faulted health workers for neglecting the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) in treating patients taunted by emerging diseases.
This followed the outbreak of an Acute Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) suspected to be Lassa Fever at the Accident and Emergency unit of the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna State last week.
News Rider reports that a circular issued on Wednesday, February 21, 2024, by the Acting Corps Commander of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps, Brigadier General S.O Okoigi revealed that the index patient died at the hospital after presenting symptoms of febrile illness while three health workers died within 48 hours.
The PPEs are goggles, masks, gloves, gowns, boots, waste bins, hand sanitizers, chlorine and other commodities.
Addressing newsmen on the outbreak of the fever on Monday in Abuja, the Registrar of EHCON, Dr Yakubu Baba lamented the abuse of PPEs by health workers, adding that environmental health issues begin from the cradle to the grave.
He said: "Most health facilities in Nigeria today did not engage the services of Environment Health Officer (EHO).
"It is the duty of EHOs to enforce the use of PPEs while treating patients. Some medical personnel do not know the implication of not using the PPEs."
In Ebonyi State, 10 persons died from Lassa fever including a pregnant woman and two children from January 4 to February 16, 2024.
At least, 25 persons were infected, including two healthcare workers. 16 out of the infected persons were males while nine are females.
Baba noted that a National Council on Health memo stipulated that any hospital that has more than 50-bed space should create an Environmental Health Unit.
Also, that every health facility that has over 200-bed space must have an Environmental Health Department.
The registrar noted that without the existence of such department or unit in health facilities, that there is a tendency of abuse of PPEs and mismanagement of health care waste.
He was optimistic that the Federal Government would overcome the challenges in the spirit of One Health Strategic Action Plan that integrates human, animal and environmental health management for improved health security.
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family of viruses. Mild symptoms include fever and headache.
Humans are infected with the virus through exposure to food or household items contaminated with urine or faeces of infected Mastomys rats that is prevalent in West Africa.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mr Mahmud Kambari hinted that as at February 25, 2024, twelve (12) suspected cases were recorded, while the number of mortality rose to six.
He disclosed that two of the suspected cases originated from another facility, the Barau Dikko Hospital in Kaduna, saying that 92 persons are currently under surveillance as contact persons.
Kambari informed that in response to the outbreak, the Minister of State for Environment, Dr Ishaq Salako set up a task team led by EHCON and Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health of the ministry.
He said that the team visited the 44 Army Referral Hospital on Friday and discovered that the general hygiene and cleanliness of the hospital was adequate.
The permanent secretary stated that the team recommended that the facility should be deratized to reduce the population of the disease-carrying vector, specifically rats.
To combat the outbreak, he noted that the ministry dispatched vector wax block rodenticide to Kaduna for massive deratization of suspected facilities.
In addition, the Federal Government directed the activation of all Environmental Health Personnels (EHPs) in the state for surveillance, in order to identify rat infestations in communities, districts and wards, and report such cases for treatment and abatement.
He insisted that EHCON and environmental health authorities would issue deratization certificates or exemptions to facilities to prevent the spread of the disease.
"Military and para-military formations have also been directed to embark on a massive deratization exercise in all their facilities.
"The Federal Ministry of Environment plans to launch a national deratization framework exercise to minimize occurrence of the disease in states that experience consistent annual outbreaks during December to March season," he added.
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