All stakeholders should do more to stem the scourge
The death toll from the outbreak of Lassa fever in the country rose to 191 last week, with health authorities warning over increasing infections across several states. According to the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), 23 states across 106 local government areas have recorded at least one confirmed case this year. The data also revealed that the 21–30 age group remains the most affected, with cases spanning ages from one to 90 years and a median age of 30. “We are seeing late presentation of cases in many communities, and this continues to drive preventable deaths,” according to the NCDC. “The high fatality rate is a clear signal that people are arriving at treatment centres too late.”
Not only is it egregious that Nigerians die needlessly from a preventable disease like Lassa fever, what the latest figures indicate is that if indeed there have been any preventive strategies, they are not working. “Early detection and prompt treatment remain critical to survival,” NCDC said in explaining the spike in fatality rates. But to rid the nation of a preventable disease that claims the lives of dozens of citizens on an annual basis, authorities in the health sector need to do more work.
