Lassa Fever: Fatality Rate Rises To 19.1% — FG

Minister of state for health, Dr.Adeleke Olorunnimbe Mamora has expressed concern over rising cases of Lassa fever as fatality rate hits 19.1 per cent.

Mamora, who disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja, said there has been 3746 suspected cases, in 23 States and 681 confirmed cases with 132 deaths currently.

He noted that part of government’s response/Interventions to Lassa Fever are enforcement of environmental sanitation and focus on Long term improvement of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities to eliminate Cholera.

On COVID-19, he said as at 10 April 2022, 4,969,571 million persons have been tested for COVID-19 using either Polymerase Chain Reaction or Rapid Diagnostic Test.

He explained that there has been increase in Lagos State, decline in FCT, stability in three States of Kaduna, Kwara and Rivers while others cannot be ascertained.

As at 11 April, 2022 the reports from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control reveals that about 255,468 Nigerians have tested positive to the virus, there are 2,719 active cases while 249,607 people have been treated and discharged, while 3,142 have lost their lives“ he explained.

However, Mamora said sespite all efforts, a lot still has to be done to reach the 50 per cent eligible population vaccinated by second quarter of the year 2022. „The total number of eligible population fully vaccinated with first and second dose as at 10%,“ he said