Lassa fever: Improved surveillance will help discover more cases —Centre for Disease Control director

Executive Director, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, had said that more cases of Lassa fever may still be recorded in Nigeria, because of improved surveillance and laboratory system for the disease.

Dr Ihekweazu, speaking on the situation of Lassa fever in Nigeria, said as of January 21, a total number of 107 suspected cases have been recorded in 10 states across the country.  The states are Edo, Ondo, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Anambra, Benue, Kogi, Imo and Lagos.

He said that although Lassa fever was endemic in the country, more cases had been recorded in Edo, Ondo and Ebonyi states in the first three weeks of the outbreak of the disease this year than in the first three months of 2017.

The expert described as unfortunate the significant transmission of the disease, especially among health care workers, as the case was in   Ebonyi State.

According to him, “the most likely scenario is that it was transmitted from one person to the other and that really did not have to happen.”

While assuring that NCDC had lent more support to ensure an increase in infection control measures in the hospital involved, he said the current Lassa fever outbreak was an opportunity for the society and government to prioritise health, especially public health.

According to him, “Definitely there are gaps in our health system, we have not prioritised things like infection prevention and control enough. Many hospitals still do not have running water; they do not have enough gloves and enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

“I think this is a real opportunity because it is also about how we as a society prioritise health as much as we shout about infrastructure, security and electricity.

“We must also push government harder on health; if we ask for more, government will focus more on health.”