From Fred Ezeh, Abuja

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said on Tuesday that it has kick-started preparations for the imminent outbreak of two epidemics, Lassa fever and cerebrospinal meningitis, in a few weeks.

Being a seasonal diseases, NCDC said they expect to receive cases of Lassa fever and CSM in few weeks time, even though adequate measures have been put in place by the Centre and the stakeholders to respond to the cases.

NCDC Director General, Dr. Jide Idris, told journalists at a press conference in Abuja that the Emergency Operation Centre for the two diseases has been strengthened in preparation for the imminent outbreak.

He said that state governments have also been put on alerts and provided with necessary toolkits to take precautionary measures, particularly mass advocacy, to educate and prepare the people, including healthcare workers, for the imminent outbreak.

On Lassa fever, the NCDC boss said the outbreaks are highly virulent, and the loss of human lives resulting from the disease are not just statistics but represent the death of beloved family members, spouses, and parents.

“Healthcare workers are also not excluded, as there is a high chance of infection if proper infection prevention and control measures are not observed, and experienced healthcare workers may die further straining the country’s already insufficient human resources for health.

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“In 2022, Nigeria reported 1,067 confirmed Lassa fever cases across 112 LGAs in 27 states. In 2023, 114 LGAs in 28 states reported confirmed cases, with 9,155 suspected cases, 1,270 confirmed cases, and 227 deaths.

“As of October 13th, 2024, 8,569 suspected cases, 1,035 confirmed cases, and 174 deaths have been reported across 129 LGAs in 28 states.”

Regarding the CSM, the NCDC boss said the disease remains a priority disease and an ever-present public health threat in Nigeria, with annual outbreaks in high-burden states that present a challenge for people, health systems, economies, and communities.

He said: “The highest burden of CSM in Nigeria occurs in the ‘Meningitis Belt’ which includes all 19 states in the Northern region, the FCT, and some southern states, notably, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun.

“In 2023/2024, Nigeria recorded 4, 915 suspected and 380 confirmed cases with 361 deaths across 174 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 24 States including the FCT.”

He assured Nigerians that NCDC is committed to the health of the people and will work closely with state governments to ensure that a lower number of Lassa fever and CSM cases are recorded in the coming cycle.