Following the spread of Cerebrospinal Meningitis, CSM, in the country, the Federal Government has secured 500,000 doses of meningococcal vaccine from the World Health Organisation, WHO, to tackle the outbreak in Zamfara and Katsina states, while additional 800,000 units are expected from the British government.
Over the weekend, the Federal Ministry of Health issued a public advisory confirming 328 deaths from 2,524 infected persons in 99 local government areas in 16 states of the country.
It was stated that a total of 131 samples had been confirmed in the laboratory, of which a majority are Neisseria Meningitides type C.
Disclosing this in a statement, Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, said by Tuesday (tomorrow), there would be a meeting with the International Review Group of WHO to request approval for additional vaccines, as part of practical and medically certified efforts to stem the ugly incident.
Adewole said the vaccines were procured through government’s initiatives, even as he assured Nigerians that the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis ravaging some states in the country would be nipped in the bud.
“We have started working with all the affected states in specific areas of collaboration on massive awareness and sensitization, laboratory investigation and analysis, proper documentation and disease surveillance techniques through the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, and National Primary Health Care Development Authority, NPHCDA, which have been of tremendous support since the outbreak.”
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