Health
One dies as Niger battles infectious disease outbreak
Chika Otuchikere
A suspected infectious disease has claimed the life of one child and affected other members of a family in Niger State.
The outbreak was disclosed during a two-day training on Infection Prevention and Control and Case Management during Disease Outbreaks organised by the United Nations Children’s Fund with funding from the United States Government and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
The NCDC representative, Dr Ali Aliyu, said that with the outbreak in Niger State, the NCDC has begun training and equipping IPC focal persons with facility-specific preparedness and response plans to strengthen the prevention, detection, and management of disease outbreaks in line with national guidelines.
The Director of Information Management in the state Ministry of Information and Orientation, Yunusa Ibrahim, disclosed that the state government has commenced a comprehensive investigation into a suspected infectious disease that has claimed the life of the child and affected other members of the same family.
The Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Idris, disclosed during an assessment visit to the affected family that the ministry responded swiftly after a concerned father posted videos alleging that a strange illness had struck his household.
“The Niger State Ministry of Information and Orientation wishes to inform the general public that the Ministry of Health has commenced a comprehensive investigation into a suspected infectious disease following reports circulated on social media concerning an illness that reportedly claimed the life of a child and affected other members of the same family.
“The Director of Public Health, Dr Ibrahim Idris, disclosed this during an assessment visit to the affected family, stating that the ministry swiftly responded after a concerned father posted videos alleging that a strange illness had struck his household.
“Idris said the immediate intervention reflects the commitment of the Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago-led administration to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of all Niger residents, stressing that every unexplained death warrants thorough investigation and every suspected outbreak must be treated with utmost urgency,” Ibrahim stated.
Idris disclosed further that during an assessment visit to the affected family, the ministry swiftly responded after a concerned father posted videos alleging that a strange illness had struck his household.
Idris said health officials have commenced contact tracing in the affected community and schools attended by the children to identify anyone with similar symptoms and contain any possible transmission.
He urged parents and caregivers to ensure that their children complete all recommended routine immunisation schedules, saying many life-threatening illnesses can be prevented through vaccination.
“At this stage, no definitive conclusion can be made until laboratory investigations are completed. The samples collected will help determine the exact cause of the illness and guide the response,” he maintained.
Continuing, Idris insisted that “the NCDC is committed to supporting Niger State through the provision of medical commodities, treatment supplies, and technical expertise to strengthen disease outbreak preparedness and response.”
The medic revealed that the suspected cases of diphtheria, which were reported in the Fadikpe area of Minna, had already claimed a child’s life and could lead to more.
He assured the residents that the Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation and appealed for calm while awaiting laboratory results.
UNICEF, while reiterating its commitment to support the state in tackling the outbreak, stressed that complete immunisation remains the most effective and safest protection against vaccine-preventable diseases and thus urged all parents to take advantage of available immunisation services at health facilities across the state.
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