The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said 11 states in northern Nigeria are at high risk of tetanus epidemic. Dr. Idris Nagya, a focal person with the fund disclosed this at a sensitisation workshop in Minna yesterday.

He said the risk covers 138 local government areas, adding that the danger is more potent across the Northeast.

Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that causes painful muscle spasm and can lead to death.

According to him, the disease is a major health concern in seven local government areas of Niger State. The local government areas include Agwara, Edati, Magama, Mashegu, Mokwa, Rafi and Shiroro. Nagya attributed the prevalence to ignorance, cultural and religious beliefs, inadequate health personnel and health facilities among others which need to be addressed with a political will by stakeholders. Describing maternal and neonatal tetanus as one of the killer diseases among children and women of childbearing age, he suggested that an integrated model of vaccination should be introduced to reduce the multiple vaccination exercise for children, especially under the age of five. He also suggested that screening of pregnant women need to be carried out to determine their status, and called for mobilisation of adequate manpower to tackle the menace. The Director Of Immunization, Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Fati Sheik Abdullah, expressed hope that the campaign for the elimination of tetanus in Nigeria would be achieved with the involvement of the media, considering the role it played in the previous campaigns. (Daily Trust)