The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris has urged state governments to intensify surveillance, case reporting, funding, and infection prevention measures to curb rising deaths from Lassa fever across Nigeria.
Speaking during a press briefing, Idris stressed that while the NCDC will continue to coordinate the national response, effective control of the outbreak depends largely on state-level leadership and ownership.
He noted that outbreaks begin at the community and local government levels, and without adequate subnational funding, governance, and coordination, national efforts would yield limited results.
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Providing the latest epidemiological update, the NCDC boss disclosed that between December 29 and February 15, Nigeria recorded 1,469 suspected cases and 318 confirmed cases of Lassa fever, with 70 deaths.
“Although overall figures show some improvement compared to the same period last year, the case fatality rate is “higher than we would accept,” particularly due to increasing fatalities among confirmed cases”.
He revealed that 91 percent of confirmed infections are concentrated in five states, with 10 Local Government Areas accounting for 68 percent of cases.
“The 5 states responsible for the 91% are: Edo, Ondo, Taraba, Bauchi, and Ebonyi”.
“In response, the agency has deployed national rapid response teams to at least eight affected states, especially those identified as hotspots”.
According to Dr. Idris, the NCDC activated its Incident Management System ahead of the peak season and continues to hold weekly Emergency Operations Centre meetings to coordinate response activities.
“The agency has also distributed laboratory testing commodities, reagents, personal protective equipment and other medical countermeasures to high-burden states, alongside public awareness materials in multiple local languages”.
A major concern highlighted during the briefing is the growing number of infected healthcare workers. Idris attributed this to gaps in Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices and a low index of suspicion in some health facilities.
He cited the case of a gynaecologist who died after unknowingly treating a Lassa fever patient without adequate precautions, underscoring the need for strict compliance with IPC protocols, including hand hygiene and proper use of protective gear.
The NCDC also raised concerns about treatment centre standards in some states.
“Dialysis machines procured in 2024 to manage kidney complications associated with severe Lassa cases were distributed to selected tertiary facilities, but reports indicate that some centres are charging patients or not fully utilising the equipment”.
Dr. Idris said the matter is being addressed with the relevant state authorities.