The Bauchi State Government has inaugurated a Lassa Fever Rapid Response team to curtail any further outbreak of the virus in the state.
This is coming on the heels of the death of a doctor and a district head in the state that lost their lives as a result of Lassa fever.
Recall that the State Governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed on Monday, postponed an official visit to Germany to seek an urgent intervention of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control over the outbreak of Lassa fever in Bauchi state.
The district head of Toro, Alhaji Garba Adamu, a medical doctor and nine other persons were killed within 10 weeks, since the outbreak of the disease.
Constituting the rapid Response Team at the Government House, Bauchi, Governor Bala Mohammed said that the team will be headed by the Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela.
“This meeting is to show you that the leadership is concerned about the current outbreak of Lassa fever in the state. As a government, we are ready to work with you as experts for us to come up with action plan that will solve the situation”
“Based on my consultations with experts, they told me that education and environmental sanitation are some of the strategic mechanisms in controlling the outbreak. I assure you that i am ready to give you all the necessary support in controlling the Lassa Fever Outbreak” Mohammed said
The Governor said that already, he has sought the support of stakeholders from the federal government agencies with a view to ensure quick response to current outbreak of the disease in the state.
Addressing newsmen after the inauguration of the State Rapid Response team, the State Health Commissioner, Aliyu Mohammed Maigoro said that the team will enter every nook and crannies of the state to sensitize members of the public on preventive measures against Lassa and other infectious diseases.
Maigoro said that the Ministry in colloboration with the Bauchi State Primary HealthCare Development Agency and other health partners will intensify efforts to curtail the spread of the virus in the state.
