The authorities should do more to contain the scourge
Confirmation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) that no fewer than 118 people lost their lives to Lassa fever during the first quarter of 2025 should worry health stakeholders. “Preventing Lassa fever requires a collective effort,” says the centre’s Director General, Jide Idris who continues to advocate preventive measures. “While the NCDC and state governments are leading the response, every Nigerian has a role to play in reducing the spread of the virus.”
Lassa fever is an acute febrile illness which is caused by a virus with an incubation period of between six to 21 days. The onset of the disease is usually gradual, starting with fever, general weakness, before being followed by headache, sore throat, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and bleeding from mouth.
However, because the symptoms of Lassa fever are so varied and non-specific, clinical diagnosis is often difficult, especially early in the course of the disease. For that reason, steps should be taken by the government, at all levels, to emphasise routine infection prevention and control measures. Healthcare workers should also be advised to always be careful to avoid contact with blood and body fluids in the process of caring for sick persons.
Against the background that the deadly but preventable disease resulted in 190 deaths last year, the number of fatalities for only the first three months of this year is quite alarming. It is indeed unfortunate that Lassa fever has been a serious health challenge in Nigeria since it was first diagnosed in Lassa (the village for which it was named) in Borno State in 1969. Even though there have been efforts in the past to contain the scourge, our country has been witnessing frequent outbreaks in recent years. This, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) “could be attributed to reduced response capacity in surveillance and laboratory testing.”
Experts have advised that people should ensure their food (cooked or uncooked) is properly covered while regular handwashing should be adhered to always. The bush around the home should also be cleared regularly while windows and doors of the house should be closed, especially when it is nighttime. The public should also be adequately enlightened on the dangers posed by rats in their homes. This should be the responsibility of both the Federal Ministry of Environment and that of Information that can deploy the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for a public awareness campaign on the issue.
Despite repeated commitments by various stakeholders to prevent a recurrence of this disease, what the current outbreak has shown clearly is that if indeed there have been any preventive strategies, they were not implemented. And if implemented, they are not working. We therefore believe that the authorities need to do more if we are ever to rid the nation of the disease that claims the lives of dozens of our citizens on an annual basis. With effective coordination, the current outbreak can be contained quickly before it becomes another national epidemic. We hope the authorities will take both preventive and long-term measures this time around so that we do not continue to lose our citizens to the virus that has for decades been an emblem of shame for Nigeria.