Benue govt. decries 820 cases of Lassa fever, 16 deaths

From Attah Ede, Makurdi

Benue State government said it recorded 820 cases of Lassa fever, confirmed 63 and 16 deaths, saying that the number of Lassa Fever cases in the State is on the increase.

The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Yanmar Marcellinus Ortese who disclosed this at a news conference to marked this year world Health Day, said two (2) persons are still on admission and in a very stable condition.

He maintained that the State has experienced multiple disease outbreak including measles and Buruli Ulcer among other diseases, adding that they are responding to the largest Fever outbreak in the history of the State.

The commissioner lamented that the health ministry capacities are over stretched particularly as the state lack a functional public health Molecular Laboratory

“Additionally, our fight against Tuberculosis, TB is ongoing with the State ranking 6th in the country and 1st in tht North Central zone”, he said.

The Health Commissioner stressed the need to establish a state-of-art Molecular Laboratory to enhance the State disease surveillance and response capabilities.

On achievements recorded by the government, he disclosed that over 50,000 of the most vulnerable population have been enrolled into the State Health Insurance Scheme under the basic health care fund program across the 276 political wards of the State.

He further said that 5,500 Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs have also been enrolled in the Health Insurance Scheme thereby optimizing healthcare delivery to these most vulnerable of the vulnerable.

“our efforts have been further bolstered by the employment of approximately 400 new personnel at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi and procurement of essential medical equipment, enhancing our tertiary healthcare services.

“We call upon all stakeholders across sectors of the Government, international partners, the private sector and the civil society to join hands with us in consolidating our efforts to strengthen our health system to cope with the ever increasing needs of our large population”, he appealed.

World Health Organization, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti represented by, Mohammed Abdulkarim WHO State Coordinator Benue State, averred that consideration of vulnerable groups must be assessed, positing that their needs ought to be purposively integrated into health programmes at all levels to accelerate progress towards Universal Health Care, UHC.

“We know that many in our region still need help with access to quality essential health services due largely to unfulfilled rights.

“This is further compounded by protracted and ongoing crisis such as conflicts, climate change, food security, disease outbreak and epidemics.

“The number of people aged 15 and over living with HIV is still high at an estimated 24.3 million in 2021(3.4% of the total population) compared to 15.6 million in 2005.

“This reflects the continued transmission of HIV despite reductions in the incidence of people newly infected and the benefits of significantly expanded access to anti retrovirals”, the WHO Director decried.