At least 25 persons have died of Lassa fever disease in Ebonyi State this year while 394 suspected cases have been recorded since January. There were 48 confirmed cases .
Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State disclosed this during the handing over ceremony of “Medecens Sans Frontieres” (MSF) Lassa fever support activities to Ebonyi Ministry of Health at Re Meritoria Hotel, Abakaliki.
He said that MSF became an official health ally and partner to the State through the Ministry of Health in 2018 and since then they have remained steadfast and utterly dedicated to surveillance proper diagnosis, case management, prevention, control measures, and humanitarian support to their people with Lassa Fever.
He described Lassa Fever as a viral hemorrhagic fever caused by Lassa virus(LASV) transmitted by multi-mammate rats as a result of the tropical nature of their land with several bush masses and forests where the animal hosts and virus reservoirs dwell.
He noted that the spread of the virus was believed to be facilitated by socio-cultural practices, poor health-seeking behaviour, poor environmental sanitation conditions, lack of awareness, and community engagement.
He said that as a Government, since they came on board have always shown their uncommon zeal to support the health care of their people in all ramifications with a special interest on life-threatening diseases like Lassa Fever, Cholera, and others.
Nwifuru disclosed that his administration was committed to ensuring that every Ebonyian enjoys basic, affordable, quality, and accessible health care through numerous interventions such as employment of qualified personnel (doctors, nurses, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, radiographers, etc) to work in state hospitals.
Other areas of accomplishments according to him, are procurements of hospital equipment and consumables running into billions of Naira, purchase of brand new SUVs for all the doctors in our General Hospitals; revitalization of State cold rooms for vaccine storage, renovations of 171 primary health care centers across the state.
