Lassa Fever Outbreak: Death Toll Rises To 31 In 15 States – Minister

Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Monday disclosed that the recent outbreak of Lassa fever has affected 15 states in the country.

The states include Bauchi, Plateau, Taraba, Nasarawa, Benue, Kogi, Ebonyi, Rivers, Imo, Anambra, Edo, Delta, Ondo, Osun and Lagos states.

The minister, who made the disclosure at the emergency National Council of Health meeting in Abuja, confirmed 105 laboratory confirmed cases, three probable cases and 31 deaths and added that 77 cases of Lassa fever had been recorded this year in the country.

The minister said the meeting was organised to discuss the public health challenges ravaging the country in the past few weeks, lamenting that Lassa fever had been a recurrent outbreak in the country.

Adewole noted that Nigeria combated Ebola in 2014 and the resurgence of polio effectively.

“The success against Ebola created a situation whereby every other public health challenge in Nigeria is to be seen to be a tea party. Therefore, assume that Lassa fever and other challenges would be likened to malaria, that they were not serious.”

“The international community will not come to Nigeria’s rescue or certify the country polio-free until everyone is sure that Nigeria is polio-free, and that is another health challenge,’’ he said.

He said Lassa fever had been persistent in the country over the past 30 years.

The minister added, “We have also commenced a nationwide immunisation against yellow fever that will take about seven years to complete due to non-availability of vaccines and large number of people to vaccinate.

“We have already taken delivery of 25 million doses of vaccines; with these, we should be able to go far but not far enough. We are already talking to stakeholders and international partners to shorten the campaign to five years.’’