Enugu Govt to sustain surveillance on CSM, Lassa fever ―Director

The Enugu State government says it will continue to use massive publicity to sustain health surveillance alert on Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) and Lassa fever.

The state’s Director of Public Health, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Tuesday.

NAN recalls that CSM broke-out in December in five states and the FCT, while case of Lassa fever was reported in a state in March.

Ossai urged residents of the state “to quickly report any suspected case with the signs of these illnesses to a nearby hospital or medical expert.

“As well, any strange illness or known sickness that is manifesting new strange signs and symptoms.”

Ossai, who also doubles as the state’s Chief Disease Surveillance Officer, said that the present cool weather due to rains, which is not a favourable condition for CSM spread, was a blessing to the state.

“The type of cool weather we have in virtually all parts of the state is a condition that is not favourable for CSM spread.

“This is a source of blessing to the state. We are still upping our surveillance, especially as it concern watching cross border migration of people,” Ossai said.

He said that the Ministry of Health in the state had adopted proactive measures through increased surveillance by placing diseases surveillance officers and offices in the 17 local government areas in the state on red alert.

According to him, the ministry has deployed 86 disease-surveillance-focal persons to the 17 council areas to boost disease surveillance and rapid report to government.

Ossai said that the ministry is also partnering with the Nigerian Medical Association on the need for its members to report any strange illness or suspected case of CSM or Lassa fever.

NAN reports that the National Primary Health Care Development Agency some weeks ago said the country needed about 1.1 billion dollars for the vaccination of 22 million people in the states affected by the type “C” meningitis.

The agency, which had started CSM immunisation in the five most affected states in the country, said that each type ‘C’ CSM vaccine cost between 30 dollars and $50 dollars, adding that the vaccine is expensive and scarce.