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BY CHUKWU JOEL CHINEDU
Nigeria Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has urged state governments to provide better awareness, surveillance and response to Lassa fever.
The NCDC said that while the federal government coordinates the response to Lassa fever nationwide, state governments must take responsibility for their own citizens facing problems within their borders.
The agency said so at a research symposium and workshop on Lassa fever, held in partnership with University College London and the Johns Hopkins Program for International Training in Obstetrics and Gynecology in Abuja.
NCDC Executive Director, Dr. Adetifa Ifedayo: “It is important to recognize that this is not just a matter of national governance, but that states have a responsibility to take care of citizens who are struggling within their borders.
“We believe previous efforts are beginning to pay off as we maintain a low mortality rate. And it’s a lot lower in more experienced centers than in less experienced centers, so we need to work a little more on the other frontiers of Lassa fever that are starting to open.
Professor Kate Jones, representing UCL, said: “We are involved in a long-term project with the NCDC on a major research project to try to use all the amazing new technology and new genome sequencing, a new vaccine that is coming see what works and what doesn’t, and new types of artificial intelligence and remote sensing techniques for geography are helping to understand and predict where Lassa fever will be most prevalent.
Cases of Lassa fever have been steadily increasing over the years. As of April 23, 2023, there were no fewer than 4,908 suspected cases, 897 confirmed cases, and 154 deaths, compared to 4,272 suspected cases, 751 confirmed cases, and 140 deaths in 2022. NCDC, departments and agencies, and partners to better understand the virus.
