The Federal Government has put
the total number of Nigerians at the risk of Lassa Fever at 29 million,
while 26 states in the country are exposed to the deadly disease.
The government also explained that the recent outbreak of the disease in the country was a signal that it had not received the expected attention.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, sounded the warning on Friday in Abuja during a press briefing to coincide with the National Lassa Fever Day and public presentation of 5,000 safeguard soaps to the health ministry by Procter & Gamble Nigeria.
According to him, in 2012 alone, the country recorded 1,944 cases, with 207 deaths, adding that the majority of the deaths were recorded among the health care providers.
Alhassan warned that every case should be well investigated to reduce the fatality rate among health workers, which is put at about 50 to 80 per cent.
He emphasised the need for health workers to be protected while treating Lassa Fever patients.
The minister stated that protecting the health workers would go a long way in the campaign to halt the communicable disease.
Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Nigeria, Mr. George Nassar, represented by the organisation’s Government Relations Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Ms. Temitope Iluyemi, said the donation was the company’s partnership effort to support the Federal Ministry of Health and hygiene campaign through hand washing, aimed at curbing the transmission of communicable diseases.
The government also explained that the recent outbreak of the disease in the country was a signal that it had not received the expected attention.
The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan, sounded the warning on Friday in Abuja during a press briefing to coincide with the National Lassa Fever Day and public presentation of 5,000 safeguard soaps to the health ministry by Procter & Gamble Nigeria.
According to him, in 2012 alone, the country recorded 1,944 cases, with 207 deaths, adding that the majority of the deaths were recorded among the health care providers.
Alhassan warned that every case should be well investigated to reduce the fatality rate among health workers, which is put at about 50 to 80 per cent.
He emphasised the need for health workers to be protected while treating Lassa Fever patients.
The minister stated that protecting the health workers would go a long way in the campaign to halt the communicable disease.
Managing Director, Procter & Gamble Nigeria, Mr. George Nassar, represented by the organisation’s Government Relations Director, Sub-Saharan Africa, Ms. Temitope Iluyemi, said the donation was the company’s partnership effort to support the Federal Ministry of Health and hygiene campaign through hand washing, aimed at curbing the transmission of communicable diseases.
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