By ABUJAH RACHEAL

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised concern over increasing Lassa fever cases across 18 states and 67 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The agency attributed the sustained transmission and rising fatalities to operational gaps at the state level, urging urgent action to strengthen outbreak response and control measures.

Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that Bauchi, Ondo, Taraba, Edo and Benue accounted for more than 80 per cent of confirmed cases recorded during the 2026 peak transmission season.

Idris described as particularly worrisome the growing infections among healthcare workers, with 28 confirmed cases and three deaths reported so far this season.

He said field investigations showed most transmissions were occurring in known endemic areas, but weak implementation of established response frameworks had contributed to the continued spread and higher case fatality rate.

According to him, gaps identified include infections in general outpatient and maternity settings, poor adherence to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and inadequate pre-positioning of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

He added that delayed patient presentation due to financial barriers, inconsistent activation of State Incident Management Systems, weak contact tracing, persistent stigma and poor isolation centre standards were also driving transmission.

Idris emphasised that outbreak response implementation and health service delivery fell primarily under state governments within Nigeria’s federal structure, urging them to strengthen accountability and resource allocation.

He called on affected and high-risk states to urgently activate and closely monitor their Incident Management Systems, ensuring timely coordination and efficient outbreak response at all levels of healthcare delivery.

He also urged the immediate release of response funds, strict enforcement of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) compliance in public and private health facilities, and continuous availability of PPE and other critical supplies.

The NCDC boss also advocated accelerated financial protection mechanisms to reduce late presentation and high fatality rates, alongside institutionalised rodent control and environmental sanitation measures under a One Health approach.

He advised healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion and adhere strictly to IPC guidelines.

He also urged the public to keep environments clean, prevent rodent entry into homes, store food safely and seek early medical care when symptoms appear.

Idris noted that Lassa fever was treatable, with improved outcomes when detected early, adding that Nigeria was also responding to other epidemic-prone diseases including Cerebrospinal Meningitis, Diphtheria, Mpox and Cholera.

He reiterated NCDC’s toll-free emergency line, 6232, for reporting suspected cases and obtaining further information. (NAN)

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