Nigeria's
Ministry of Health has issued a public advisory following the outbreak of
Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) that has spread across the country and mostly
affecting States in the upper parts of the country which fall within the
African Meningitis Belt.
Other
Countries that are facing similar outbreaks at the moment include our
West-African Neighbours like Niger, Chad, Cameroun, Togo, and Burkina Faso. The
larger African Meningitis Belt consists of 26 Countries that stretch from
Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau in the west coast to eastern countries of
Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Ninety
(90) Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Sixteen (16) States of the Federation are
so far affected including Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Nassarawa,
Jigawa, FCT, Gombe, Taraba , Yobe, Kano, Osun, Cross Rivers, Lagos and
Plateau. The total number of people affected across these States is 2524 with
328 Deaths. So far, a total 131 samples have been confirmed in the Laboratory,
out of which a majority are Neisseria Meningitides type C. This current
outbreak started in Zamfara State in the 50th week of 2016 (i.e. November 2016)
Information
to the Public:
Prevention:
·
Avoidance of overcrowding
·
Sleep in well ventilated places
·
Avoidance of close and prolonged contact with a case/s
·
Proper disposal of respiratory and throat secretions
·
Strict observance of hand hygiene and sneezing into Elbow joint/sleeves
·
Reduce hand shaking, kissing, sharing utensils or medical interventions such as
mouth resuscitation
·
Vaccination with relevant sero-type of the meningococcal vaccine
·
Self-medication should be avoided
Early
Diagnosis, Treatment and Isolation:
·
Very important that all individuals should acquaint themselves with at least
the basic knowledge/understanding of CSM and how it is transmitted and
prevented
·
Strictly adhere to the advice of Health workers on how to protect oneself as
enumerated above
·
Prompt seeking for medical/health care as soon as CSM or CSM-Like Illness is
suspected
·
All Hospitals to ensure that appropriate Diagnoses are made including
laboratory confirmation and immediate reporting through the surveillance system
·
Commence early treatment as soon as the diagnoses of CSM is made
·
Restrict mingling with other people once one is diagnosed as a case of CSM
·
All Secondary and Tertiary Public Health Facilities should provide free
treatment to all CSM Patients
Finally,
the Federal Ministry of Health calls upon the general public to remain calm as
the disease Cebro-spinal Meningitis (CSM) is both preventable and curable.
Although the cumulative number of people and locations affected may continue to
increase, the actual rate of increase has begun to decline in some states
indicating that the end of the epidemic is in sight.
All
Public Sector Hospitals (Secondary and Tertiary Hospitals) have been directed
to provide free treatment for all Cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis.
We
wish to thank all our National and International Development partners
(Multilateral and bilateral) who supported us in accessing the relevant CSM
Vaccines which have already been deployed to Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and FCT.
We are equally reassured that more Doses are expected and all necessary
documentation for the new vaccines arrivals have been concluded.
The
Federal Ministry of Health will continue to provide regular feedback to the
General Public on the necessary steps to take. Meanwhile, everybody is advised
to remain calm and continue to abide by the health advisory being issued
periodically.
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