National Wire About Nigerians, Nigerian Business and Other Stories
Olabode Adedaramola
One hundred and twenty-three cases of cerebrospinal meningitis were recorded in Niger state so far, the state ministry of health has disclosed.
The mortalities from the outbreak has also risen from the initial 16 to 33 deaths within two months, director of public health, Malam Mohammed Usman also revealed to journalists on Friday.
Speaking on behalf of the commissioner of health, Dr Mustapha Jibril, the director said the state has witnessed a significant spread of the disease across 12 local government areas from the initial four.
National Wire recalls that 31 cases of meningitis was earlier reported across four local government areas of the state on March 6, including Magama. The other affected local government areas were Kontagora, Rijau and Agwara.
The local government areas currently affected were Agwara, Rijau, Suleja, Bosso, Tafa, Mariga Lapai, Gurara, Mashegu, Paikoro and Kotangora with Magama recording the highest cases of 70 and 31 deaths.
He said the mortality rate was more on the part of female and children. He said the high casualty was as a result of the people’s reluctant to seek medical attention immediately the they develop the symptoms, while blaming the anomaly on witchcraft.
He said the situation is being complicated with imported cases from states which share border with Niger, especially Zamfara.
He said because of its near epidemic nature, the state has stepped up the sensitization drive with disease and surveillance officers trained and deployed across the 25 local government areas.
He said so far more than N39 million was expended on drugs and logistics by the state government even as it has set up emergency operation centre to coordinate responses to the curtain further spread.
