By Asmau Ahmad
The Federal Government is currently engaging with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations for the development of new therapeutics and a vaccine for Lassa fever.
Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire disclosed this at a three-day National Case Management Training on Lassa fever.
Represented by the Minister of State for Health, Mr Joseph Nkama, he said that the ministry decided to embark on the capacity building in Lassa fever case management, because “we know that doing so will go a long way in reducing mortality in these patients.
“It is more than 50 years since Lassa fever was first diagnosed in Nigeria. Over the years, some states had been endemic while others record annual outbreaks.
“The ministry is engaging with WHO and the CEPI for the development of new therapeutics and a vaccine for Lassa fever.
“Over the last five years, the country witnessed a sharp rise in the number of confirmed cases of Lassa fever including healthcare worker infections, reinforcing the need to build capacities to adequately manage cases when they arise,” he said.
According to him, the ministry is committed to ensuring the decline in Case Fatality Rate from the 2021 figure of 20.5 per cent to 19.8 per cent in 2022 continues.
He said such an effort would continue until Lassa fever ceases to become a public health threat in Nigeria.
“The recent COVID-19 pandemic has taught the country that it cannot afford to undermine any effort put into addressing and reducing high-risk viral pathogens like Lassa fever.
“It cannot only mutate and pose a new threat, but globalisation can quickly lead to the spread of the disease to non-endemic countries,” he said.
Ehanire said the country has advanced not only in the capacity to diagnose Lassa fever but also in the sequencing of the virus genome to monitor the circulating Lassa viruses.
He said that the country’s commitment was also evident in the emphasis on infection prevention and control measures among healthcare workers to reduce rates of infection within healthcare facilities.
“Now we want to build capacity in case management because we know that doing so will go a long way in reducing mortality in these patients.
“This training is part of the government’s effort to further reduce mortality from Lassa fever, the ministry has not made this progress in addressing Lassa fever epidemics working alone.
“WHO has been integral in their support. Their support to the country has spanned from sensitisation and training of healthcare workers to the provision of infection control commodities to treatment centres,’’ he said.
The minister said that the WHO also supported public awareness initiatives, surveillance, and outbreak response at the state level through the emergency operations centre and at the national level.
He said that the Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, had been actively involved in the management of Lassa Fever patients for many years.
Ehanire said the agencies have also carved a niche for themselves as centres of excellence for the management of viral hemorrhagic fevers, despite several challenges.
According to him, there has been significant improvement in case management since ISTH became actively involved.
He said before stakeholders’ involvement, blood samples had to be sent to Europe and South Africa for confirmatory testing, with results being unavailable for weeks to months.
Ehanire said that the institute’s activities have also seen expansion from clinical case management to research including large-scale epidemiological studies.
He said that the Integration Consortium inaugurated at the training would be led by Nigeria working with international partners and the WHO to articulate and prepare centres for clinical trials.
According to him, in the same vein, modern Intensive Care Units, well-equipped isolation centres, and Personal Protective Equipment have been made available at these centres.
