The Governor of Ebonyi State Southeast Nigeria, Mr Francis Nwifuru has commended Doctors Without Boarders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) who distinguished themselves in the field of health care delivery through their significant contribution in the fight against Lassa fever, a disease of public health concern in Ebonyi State.
Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF) is an emergency medical humanitarian non- government organization which operates internationally in providing assistance to population in distress, victims of natural disasters, war, epidemics or where there are health gaps in health care without discrimination irrespective of race, religion or political affiliation.
The Governor said this during the program of event for the official closure of MSF-OCB Abakaliki Lassa Fever Project and hand over of supported activities to Ebonyi State Ministry of Health, which took place at Remeritona Hotel in Abakaliki the State Capital.
He said, “Lassa Fever also known as Viral haemorrhagic fever is caused by Lassa virus transmitted by contacts with food or household items contaminated with faeces or urine of the infected carrier multimammate rat(Mastomys natalensis).
“The virus was first described in Nigeria in 1969 in a town called Lassa in Borno State and endemic in West Africa Countries- Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Gambia.
“The country records about 300,000- 500,000 cases of lassa yearly with annual death rate of about 5000 persons.
“Onset of symptoms usually occur between 7- 10 days after exposure. About 80% of those infected with the virus are asymptomatic while about 20% usually presents with symptoms ranging from fever, tiredness, weakness, headache to bleeding, respiratory distress,” he added.
Nwifuru informed that the biggest challenge associated with Lassa fever is the fact that it shares similar symptoms with other disease conditions such as malaria, typhoid, pneumonia etc which confuses those that contacted the disease from presenting early to the hospital as early presentation and detection is the key to good prognosis.
“In Ebonyi State, Lassa fever was first confirmed in 2005 and since then, there has been a constant presence of Lassa fever In the State. Currently, Our State still reports the highest cases of Lassa fever in the South East geopolitical zone and ranks 6th out of 28 States where Lassa fever are being reported.
“From January this year till date, the State has recorded a total of 394 suspected cases of Lassa fever with 49 confirmed cases, 25 deaths(3 pregnant women,1 health care worker & others)and 24 discharged patients. This places the case fatality rate at 52%.Out of the confirmed 49 cases, 16 are from other States( 8 Enough, 4 Cross River, 3 Imo, 1Anambra).
“In all these, MSF has been at the fore front of the war fighting to ensure that our people are rescued from the menace of Lassa fever.
“Looking at the above record, we are calling on our brothers(Doctors without border) with reconsider their planned exit from the State as there are more work to be done in our service to humanity,” he added.
On his part, the MSF Field Coordinator in Ebonyi State, Mr Allen Geoffrey said their intervention was to ensure early detection and treatment, to eradicate Lassa and to make health workers not to contract it.
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