By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna
Four lives have been lost in Niger State following the outbreak of meningitis, a deadly disease prevalent during the heatwave.
The state government confirmed that 31 cases of the deadly Cerebrospinal Meningitis, (CSM) were reported after laboratory tests and prognosis of persons who came down with familiar symthons of the disease.
Commissioner of Health and Health Services in the state, Dr. Mustapha Mohammed Jibrin disclosed that the disease was reported in parts of some local government areas of the state.
Dr. Mustapha disclosed while briefing journalists in Minna on the outbreak of the disease on Wednesday that the was at present reported in the two local government areas of Magama and Katcha areas of the state.
The Commissioner noted that unlike last year when, at about this time, the disease had been reported in 123 cases with 33 mortalities from 12 local government areas, this year’s outbreak has been confined to two council areas in 31 identified cases with only 4 deaths.
He attributed the preemptive measures taken by the state government coupled with the aggressive enlightenment campaigns in communities across towns and villages across the state on the measures to guard against the outbreak of the disease.
In last year’s outbreak of the disease, Magama had the highest number of cases of deaths with 31 casualty figures.
Dr. Mustapha Jibrin said reports from neighboring states to Niger had shown that the outbreak was presently ravaging communities with over 209 suspected cases which had resulted in 11 deaths in parts of the country as at the second week of February.
The Commissioner however cautioned that there were the possibilities of more cases as the heatwave intensifies in the coming days and weeks before the rains sets in even as he advised parents to ensure that small children were properly hydrated.
He called on citizens in the state to adhere to best environmental practices particularly in staying in well ventilated rooms, avoid overcrowding and sleep in open places at homes especially at nights.
He disclosed that the state government had activated it’s prompt response mechanisms across the 25 councils of the state. He said the state government was working closely with the World Health Organization, (WHO) for possible areas of cooperation to check the spread and veracity of the disease.
Equally, the state is leveraging on several windows from the UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders and other relevant international development partners in checking the disease.
The Commissioner disclosed that the state Ministry of Health has stepped up surveillances and raised monitoring teams in parts of the state including for active case search across all the wards within the 25 local government areas of the state.
He revealed that from the cases so far registered, the first set of positive samples have been taken to the National Centre for Diseases Control Laboratory in Abuja for higher level analysis.
In addition, the General Hospital in Auna has been designated as referral health facility for the treatment of health challenges for communitities in the northern parts of the state.
He therefore urged citizens to avail themselves of the services offered by the hospital and maintain good personal and environmental hygiene at all times and avoid overcrowding and also ensure adequate ventilation of their homes.
