Following rising cases of deadly Lassa Fever in Ondo state, a team of the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC have arrived the state to address and work out ways of combating the virus.
Ondo State has had many outbreaks of Lassa fever, and has been a major epicenter of the virus.
Addressing Government representatives led by the Head of service, Bayo Philip in Akure the Ondo state capital, the leader of the NCDC team, Dr. Olubunmi Olopha, said the National Centre for Disease Control had deployed a team of experts to provide the necessary support to the state in the face of the lassa fever outbreak.
According to her , not less than 90 out of about 200 suspected cases had been confirmed since the reported outbreak in the state which has necessitated the synergy between NCDC and the state government to combat the scourge frontally.
Dr Olopha urged healthcare providers to desist from delaying in referring suspected cases to appropriate facilities within the state as this would reduce deaths resulting from the disease.
In a remark, the Head of service, Mr Philip expressed the commitment of the state government to winning the fight against lassa fever and other diseases in the state.
Philip called on the state Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Environment as well as other relevant MDAs to, as a matter of urgency come up with proactive measures to stem the tide of the yearly reoccurrence of lassa fever in the state.
He said “I expect concerned Permanent Secretaries will come up with what needs to be done as immediate measure and what we must do to sustain this year-in-year-out. Is it in terms of drug supply, in terms of collaboration, in terms of public enlightenment and education, or in terms of environmental cleanliness ?
“All these must be integrated and everyone must do his or her part to achieve success in the fight against the disease.’ He said.
The Head of Service also charged the team to get private health facilities practitioners involved so that they would know where their efforts stop and when to refer patients for treatment in appropriate facilities across the state.
Noting that the unhygienic display of food items accounted for most reported cases of lassa fever, Philip called on Traditional and Religious leaders to join hands with the government to ensure residents adhere to the hygienic handling of food items to be consumed by the people.
