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The federal government will tomorrow inaugurate a National Lassa Fever Action Committee in view of the outbreak of Lassa fever recorded in the country. The Director, Media and Public Relations in the Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs Boade Akinola, stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Abuja yesterday. The statement also quoted the minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewale, as indicating that the ministry would convene an Emergency National Council on Health meeting to discuss the on-going Lassa fever outbreak in the country.
According to the statement, the committee will be inaugurated during the emergency meeting, scheduled to hold tomorrow. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the minister put the number of reported cases to 129. He made this known on January 14 while addressing the Senate Committee on Health, headed by Senato Lanre Tejuoso, on the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria. Meanwhile, The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has called on government to improve existing response mechanism to ensure rapid response in cases of disease outbreaks in the country.
Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other health unions have in recent times called on the Federal Government on issues relating to withholding of staff emoluments and denial of other legitimate privileges such as annual increment of salaries inadequate or obsolate equipment in wards and clinics as well as security breaches among others. According to the various unions in the health sector, they are confident that the enforcement of the public service rule on the tenure of Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Medical Directors in the Nations’ tertiary hospitals can avert the problems rocking the health sector in Nigeria.
The unions in an interview with LEADERSHIP, said government can avert unnecessary unrest in the various health institutions by ensuring due process in its appointment. It will be recalled that a circular from the Head of Service dated 27th of July 2009 was signed by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Stephen Orosanye, with the title: Interpretation of Public Service Rules on Compulsory Retirement Age/Year of Service in Relation to Appointment of Serving Public Officers, reads: “The attention of the Federal Government has been drawn to the need to correct the interpretation of the public career officers who are serving as Executive Directors or Directors-General, Chief Executives of parastatals, agencies and government-owned companies.
The Ebonyi Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources on Monday at Ugwuachara in Abakaliki destroyed 1,500 birds, to prevent further spread of the Avian Influenza, popularly known as Bird Flu, to other farms in the state. The state Commissioner, Mr Uchenna Orji, who made this known to newsmen, said that the ministry swung into action in order de-contaminate the affected farm. “We have destroyed 1,500 birds and the feeds, to avoid further spread to other poultry farms. “We went into action following the test results which revealed that the birds had been attacked by the Avian Influenza.’’
He said that the ministry had declared a state of emergency in the poultry industry, to alert members of the public and poultry farms owners to report cases of affected birds. He added that the ministry would place surveillance on neighboring communities and poultry farms, to avoid any spread of the disease. “Ebonyi is an agrarian state with crops, fish farming and poultry among others, and the ministry is alive to its duties, responsive and responsible to ensure that farmers in the state are protected from disease attacks.
The Federal Government has disclosed that Lassa fever has spread to 17 states, saying that the epidemic has claimed 63 lives out of 212 suspected victims from 62 local government areas in affected states. The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, stated this yesterday during the emergency National Council of Health meeting in Abuja on the outbreak of the disease. Adewole listed the 17 affected states as Bauchi, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Oyo, Ondo, Edo, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa, Lagos, Delta, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Zamfara and Kogi as well as the FCT.
He added that there is high level of denial and conspiracy across some states, adding that health managers should not deceive executives by the pretence and silence. The minister described the denial of Ebonyi State to report five suspected cases and one death as conspiracy of denial. He said every state should consider itself at risk and put measures to contain and prevent the disease. Adewole said the federal government would maintain high level of alert all year round to celebrate Lassa fever obituary next year.
The federal government has alerted that Meningitis Type ‘C’ is on the prowl and like other severe diseases, it has claimed several lives and is threatening to do more in the absence of vaccines. Meningitis is a serious and often deadly disease in which an outside layer of the brain or spinal cord becomes infected and swollen, it is usually caused by a virus or bacterium. This was announced by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Abdulsalam Nasidi at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja, during the emergency National Council on Health on Lassa fever outbreak which had all commissioners of health in attendance.
He said Type ‘A’ meningitis has been successfully dealt with but with time, it has resurfaced with a different face which is referred to as Meningitis ‘C’ and has claimed several lives.He called on state governors, especially in the north-west, to start planning and warming up towards the introduction of vaccines in order to fight the disease to a halt. He said early preparation will forestall more victims and casualties. “There is a need to inform us that there have been reported cases of Meningitis ‘C’ in our country and it is killing lives. The Type ‘A’ has been successfully dealt with and now we are battling with the ‘C’ type. I call on all state governors especially those of the north-west to start warming up to introduce vaccines and must not rest on their oars.”
One child has been reportedly died of measles in Hausa community, Sabo, Ibadan, Oyo State while 32 suspected cases were identified. Acting Director, Public Health, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Taiwo Ladapo in a statement in Ibadan on Wednesday blamed the only confirmed death on the failure of the parents to seek medical attention when they noticed the child’s condition. He said health officials from the state Ministry of Health, World Health organization, University College Hospital and other development partners have intervened in the measles outbreak recorded.
According to him, the ministry was first notified of the outbreak on January 11, which prompted the development partners, including the Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programme, to move into the area the following day for proper investigation and intervention. Within a week of stepping into the matter, he said that 32 suspected cases of measles were identified in Sabo, which he said was now being managed by health personnel at the Primary Health Care Centre within the community.
The Oyo State Government has ordered the state Ministry of Health to begin emergency immunisationof children in the state after five persons were confirmed to have been killed by measles. A source, who preferred anonymity because she was not authorised to speak on the matter, revealed that all the deaths were recorded in the Sabo area of Ibadan, where many citizens from the northern part of the state reside. Two weeks ago, the state government had announced that children would be immunised against measles between January 28 and February 1, 2016. But the latest directive signified the severity of the disease in the state and the determination of the government to quickly arrest it from spreading to other parts of the state.
The state Ministry of Health will begin vaccination against measles on January 19, 2016, instead of the earlier scheduled date of January 28, 2016. This is informed by the death of five people because of the disease. The state is committed to safeguarding the lives of the citizens, which informed the directive to begin the vaccination ahead of time,” the source said. The state Chief Health Educator, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olawoyin, had earlier said that the exercise would target children from nine months to 59 months and that thousands of children would be given the vaccine. She said, “In 2015, 761 blood samples from children were taken to the laboratory, as part of the state measles surveillance activity. We had 9.7 per cent of the number with negative result while 3.7 per cent tested positive for measles.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, said on Thursday in Abeokuta that the Federal Government would build 10,000 functional primary healthcare centres across the country. Ehanire, who disclosed this during his familiarisation visit to the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, said constructing more healthcare centres would reduce pressure on tertiary health institutions. He noted that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was committed to tackling medical tourism.
According to him, the country loses an estimated one billion dollars annually as a result of Nigerians travelling abroad to get the desired medical services. The minister said as part of the government’s agenda, over 10,000 functional primary healthcare centres would be established in various parts of the country. This, according to him, would help to reduce the pressure on tertiary health institutions, which would be repositioned to address health challenges often treated in foreign countries.
The Federal Government has launched a public call centre at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) which is expected to serve the country on all public health emergencies. Launching the call centre, the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole reiterated the determination of the present administration to provide access to health care information that will keep diseases away from Nigeria.
The Lagos State House of Assembly has disclosed that plans are underway to initiate the Health Trust Fund Bill, which if passed into law, will assist in the funding of the state health sector. This disclosure was made on Tuesday by the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Hon. Segun Olulade, when he led other members of the committee on an inspection tour to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). Olulade who was confronted with several complaints by some of the patients and their relatives, especially as it relates to medical fees, assured the people that his committee is already working on the Health Trust Fund Bill, which according to him may come to place before the end of the year.
The lawmaker explained that the bill if initiated, passed into law by the House and signed by the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, will allow well meaning individuals, philanthropists, corporate organisations and so on, to willingly donate money to the fund as it being done with the state Security Trust Fund (LSSTF). While responding to the issue of shortage of manpower/personnel, Olulade, who is representing Epe Constituency II, promised that the government will look into the issue, promising that more doctors and nurses will be employed across the state’s General Hospitals and Primary Health Centres, so as to reduce the number of patients that visit the LASUTH.
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A 43-year-old self-acclaimed medical doctor, Adesina Opeyemi, has been arrested by the police in Lagos for impersonation. Opeyemi, who resides at 1, Alowolodu Street, Alapere-Ketu, was apprehended at Alakara area of the state. Following a petition received from the management of Lagos University Teaching Hospital LUTH, Idi Araba, about the activities of Opeyemi, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Alakara, Mr. Emmanuel Adebisi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, was mandated to investigate the case which led to the arrest of the suspect.
The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, gave the assurance on Wednesday while addressing State House correspondents. "We are committed to signing the obituary of the Lassa fever this year", the minister said. He, however, noted that the country could win the battle against Lassa fever the same way it won against Ebola because the latter was a single importation to Nigeria, while the former was endemic in the country. "We cannot win the battle against Lassa fever the same way we won the one against Ebola. Ebola happened to be a single importation to Nigeria. Lassa fever is endemic in Nigeria. In 2012, we had upsurge in 26 states.
So, it is there, but I can assure you that with what we put in place this year, we will sign it off", he said. The minister also stated that the current outbreak of Lassa fever was not resurgence as it had been endemic in the country over the years. "And as I said in numerous occasions, we have these outbreaks. In 2012, we had the highest. We had 1, 700 cases and that declined. Last year, we had 441 cases. And what has happened is that for the first time in the history of the country,
Lagos State government yesterday said it has recorded fresh case of death from the highly dreaded Lassa fever ravaging the country. The state’s commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris who disclosed this at a press conference explained that the state has recorded 20 suspected cases of Lassa fever as at January 26, 2016, since the outbreak of the disease in the country in November, 2015. Idris flanked by the state’s commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr.Steve Ayorinde said 14 suspected cases tested negative, while four suspected cases were confirmed positive of Lasssa fever. He added that the ministry has line-listed 537 contacts of the confirmed cases and 534 which represents 99 per cent of the contacts are currently being monitored.
The commissioner said, “The last confirmed case was a 27 year old lady, who travelled to Edo State on December 24, 2015 and returned to Lagos on January 2, 2016. She became ill on January 14, 2016 and received care in one private hospital and three churches before she was referred on January 23, 2016 to Ijede General Hospital with fever, vomiting, diarrhoea and body weakness. The patient died within a few hours of admission. The case was confirmed as Lassa fever on January 26, 2016. “The remains of the patient has been kept in the morgue in leak proof body bag. She is to be buried after due consultation with her family. “Ninety (90) persons have been line-listed as contacts of the last confirmed case as at January 26, 2016 and contact tracing is on-going.”
UNICEF has on Tuesday in New York appealed for 2.8 billion dollars in aid to assist 43 million children living in humanitarian crises worldwide. Afshan Khan, UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Programmes, said that a large portion of the appeal would go toward funding education. He said one-fourth of the appeal would be used to educate children in emergencies and to get 5 million Syrian children living in and outside the country into schools.
Khan said the number of children living in humanitarian crises with access to schools from 4.9 million at the beginning of last year to 8.2 million this year. “Education is a life-saving measure for children, providing them with the opportunity to learn and play, amidst the carnage of gunfire and grenades. UNICEF noted that its current appeal had doubled what it was just three years ago.
