From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State Governor Francis Nwifuru has revealed that the state recorded 394 Lassa fever cases between January and December this year.
He said there were 48 confirmed cases, with 23 deaths, while 25 were treated and discharged.
Nwifuru disclosed this in Abakaliki, the state capital, during the handover ceremony of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), known as Doctors Without Borders, Lassa fever support activities to the state Ministry of Health.
He described Lassa fever as a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus (LASV), transmitted by multimammate rats.
He attributed the spread of the virus to sociocultural practices, poor health-seeking behaviour, poor environmental sanitation conditions, lack of awareness, and community engagement.
Records have shown that this year, 2024 alone, Nigeria has recorded over 4,726 cases, with a very significant fatality rate. In Ebonyi State, we have recorded 394 suspected cases since January, with 48 confirmed cases, out of which 23 persons died of the disease, while 25 persons were discharged home. Though we grieve over those who died, we give kudos to Doctors Without Borders for saving the lives of those who survived the disease.
“The spread of this virus is believed to be facilitated by sociocultural practices, poor health-seeking behaviour, poor environmental sanitation conditions, lack of awareness, and community engagement.
“As a government, since we came on board, we have always shown our uncommon zeal to support the healthcare of our people in all ramifications, with special interest in life-threatening diseases like Lassa fever, cholera, and others,” he said.
The governor noted that substantial provisions were made in the state’s 2025 budget for the health sector to underscore the importance his administration attaches to the health of the people, in addition to his resolve to establish specialist hospitals in each of the three senatorial zones of the state.
