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Monday, 15 January 2018

Lassa Fever: Enugu NMA Inaugurates 22-Man Committee to Checkmate Disease

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Irked by the resurgence of Lassa fever in the South-east zone, the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Enugu State chapter, on Monday inaugurated a 22-member committee to sensitise the public and prepare health workers to be at alert.



There were reports of the resurgence of the disease in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, over the weekend. Already, it has recorded casualties.



Chairman of the state NMA, Dr. Cajetan Onyedum, said the move was necessary to sensitise residents of the state as well as health workers to be at alert.



“We got official information yesterday on the death of two of our colleagues following confirmed outbreak of Lassa fever in state. This morning a nurse also died as a result of the same disease while another colleague is in critical condition.

“We thought it would be wise to set up this committee due to the proximity between Enugu and Ebonyi States in order to check the incidences here,” he said.

Onyedum said membership of the committee was drawn from key institutions in the state, adding that the committee would embark on sensitisation campaigns across the state.

According to him, the proactive move would see them visit all primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state as well as rural communities.

“The reason for this is because when the disease strikes, it does not choose destination or whom to attack,” Onyedum said.

The Chairman of the committee, Dr. Uche Unigwe, said Nigerians could no longer be in denial of cases of Lassa fever.

Unigwe, an expert in infectious diseases, said it was unfortunate that the disease had spread from the initial six states to over 20 in the country.

He said medical workers needed to be more sensitive and at alert in identifying such cases, adding that "this is an indigenous disease named after a community in the country and we should do everything possible to contain it.

“The most important thing is to develop a high index of suspicion so that medical workers can easily identify Lassa fever when they look at patients and protect themselves.”

He said that the committee would embark on aggressive sensitisation of residents, adding that everything needed to be done to reduce mortality as a result of the disease.

Unigwe said medical doctors in the state had the capacity to handle the disease if reported in time, and cautioned Nigerians to be more careful in handling food items.

He appealed to Nigerians to maintain a clean environment and ensure that rodents, which are the primary carriers of the disease, did not get in contact with their food items.

The Chairman, Infection and Disease Control Committee, Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Miriam Chidobem- Ajuba, said funds were required to check and contain the disease.

Chidobem-Ajuba said the cheering news was that the state government had upgraded facilities at health institutions.

She said the Emergency Response Team of the state Ministry of Health had also been strengthened in case of unforeseen circumstances.

“The state government has upgraded the Isolation Ward at the Colliarey Hospital,” Chidobem-Ajuba added. 

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