Lassa fever: Kano govt traces, treats 185 persons who had contact with deceased patient

From Desmond Mgboh, Kano

Health authorities in Kano State have successfully traced and treated 185 persons who had contact with a deceased Lassa fever patient.

Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, disclosed this during a press conference in the state on Thursday.

He explained that following the death of the woman at the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where she was diagnosed with the disease before her death, the government launched a follow-up surveillance exercise.

Labaran said the authorities tracked all the people and places she had visited, including her husband, screened them, and provided treatment where necessary, adding that all of them were in good health.

Speaking further, the commissioner noted that the state government had made remarkable progress in the health sector over the last three years, delivering most of its key healthcare commitments within that period.

According to him, one of the major achievements of the administration was the full implementation of the Abuja Declaration on Health, which prioritises adequate funding for the sector.

He added that admissions into health training institutions had been fully digitised, ending fraudulent practices that previously led to losses running into billions of naira.

Labaran said the administration had also revitalised the training and retraining of healthcare workers while securing accreditation for various health-related courses, thereby enhancing the quality of manpower in the sector.