RESIDENTS of the Federal Capital Territory have asked the Federal Government and FCT administration to tackle the outbreak of Meningitis in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
This followed the death of about five persons resulting from cerebrospinal meningitis in Abuja, as confirmed by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Primary Health Care Development Board.
Moses Otanwa, a resident in Abuja, told the Nigerian Tribune that government should adopt rapid response to treatment and control of the disease in the same way Ebola outbreak in Nigeria was tackled.
He said people were worried that not much was heard about government’s efforts at tackling the outbreak of meningitis in some parts of the country, including few cases that have been recorded in FCT.
On Thursday last week, there was a reported death of yet another person after it was reported on Wednesday that the board recorded four deaths on Tuesday in Durumi area of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, who confirmed the development, said the fifth death from the disease occurred in Dakwa, a border village of Bwari Area Council and Niger State.
“The four suspected cases we have were all in Durumi I and II in AMAC while one confirmed case of a child that just happened yesterday (Wednesday) in Dakwa of Bwari area council.”
“The four that died in Durumi showed all signs of meningitis but there was an autopsy carried out on the one at Dakwa and was confirmed to be meningitis at the University of Abuja Teaching hospital, Gwagwalada.”
“We have so far immunised all residents of Durumi that are within the ages of one and 29 years and we are going to condone off Dakwa area for a similar vaccination,” he said.
According to him, the board had so far immunised 65,000 residents as against 70,000 targeted for vaccination against meningitis in FCT.
He said that since the disease broke out in Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states, the board intensified effort to curtail its spread in the territory.
The Secretary disclosed that the board focused on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Barracks for the vaccination exercise because of their vulnerability.
Mohammed advised residents to avoid crowded places and ensure cross ventilation in their homes to prevent the spread of the disease.
Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concern at the rising cases of deaths and ill-health following the outbreak of meningitis in some parts of the country.
The Acting Executive Secretary of the Commission, Mrs. Oti Ovrawah, who said this in Abuja urged relevant stakeholders in the health sector to act act fast to avoid further loss of lives of citizens.
She emphasized that the Federal Ministry of Health and its counterpart across the country should as a matter of urgency take immediate and proactive steps through vaccination for the protection of citizens, especially those living in the Savannah region of the country.
The acting NHRC boss said it was important to know that such zones maintain very high atmospheric temperature which makes the people prone to spread of meningitis.
Mrs. Ovrawah also used this opportunity to highlight the need for relevant stakeholders to quickly take steps to arrest the spread of Lassa Fever which was reported to have claimed 8 lives in Kano state.
She further stated that the right to life cannot be realized in the absence of a comprehensive healthcare system and called on government at all levels to put in place result-oriented health promotion packages like comprehensive health insurance for all citizens to avoid unnecessary deaths.
The Acting Chief Executive Officer called on the affected states like Zamfara, FCT, Katsina and others to quickly set up a task force comprising of medical experts to render professional advice and services and this would not only assist the affected persons but also sensitize the populace on how best to prevent the spread of the disease.
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