From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has confirmed 56 deaths and 653 cases as a result of the outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in three local government areas of the state.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Shehu Nuhu Koko, confirmed this on behalf of the Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Musa Ismail, during a press conference on the update of the disease in the state alongside development partners. He said that the situation has normalised.
Koko disclosed that 25 deaths were recorded in Gwandu Local Government, while 16 deaths occurred in Jega LGA and 14 deaths in Aliero LGA respectively.
“Following the receipt of these reports, active surveillance was commenced with samples taken and sent to the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja to confirm the suspected outbreak of the disease, and at the same time, case management of those cases was commenced at the General Hospitals in the three affected LGAs,” he said.
“The current situation now is that a total of 653 suspected cases have been recorded to date. 17 samples so far have been sent to National Reference Laboratory in Abuja for confirmation. 5 samples’ results returned negative from NRL Abuja. 5 samples were positive: Aliero 3, Gwandu 1 and Jega 1.
“All the five positive case patients were treated and discharged alive. 7 samples’ results are pending from NRL Abuja. 56 deaths recorded: 25 in Gwandu, 16 in Jega, 14 in Aliero.”
Koko commended the State Government and partners for their efforts to curtail the widespread of the disease.
He disclosed that 3,000 doses of vaccines were received from the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and administered to patients across the state. He stressed that the State Government had opened isolation centres in the affected councils, while State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, had released N30m for the procurement of the vaccines.
Koko said that 1,550 people were vaccinated in Aliero LGA, including the university community, 798 in Gwandu LGA, and 450 people in Jega LGA. He stressed that as soon as additional vaccines arrived, the vaccination would continue statewide.