The World Health Organization says it is supporting the Nigeria
Centre for Disease Control, Delta and Enugu States to tackle the outbreak of
yellow fever.
WHO disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday from its
Regional Office for Africa, Brazzaville, Congo.
According to the statement, WHO is supporting NCDC, Delta and
Enugu to investigate and respond to recently reported deaths from unknown cause
in some communities now identified to be an outbreak of yellow fever.
The Ministries of Health for both states notified the NCDC on 2
and 3 November 2020 respectively of cases presenting with symptoms indicative
of viral hemorrhagic fever.
As at 6 November 2020, three samples from Delta and one from Enugu
tested positive for yellow fever at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital
Laboratory and NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory, Abuja.
Yellow fever is caused by a virus spread through the bite of
infected Aedes aegypti mosquitos.
Large epidemics of yellow fever occur when infected people
introduce the virus into heavily populated areas with high mosquito density and
low vaccination coverage.
With the onset of the current outbreak, epidemiologists, and other
health professionals in WHO, NCDC and National Primary Health Care Development
Agency are working in support of State public health teams.
They are working in support of State Public health teams or Rapid
Response Teams that have been organised and trained in each of the affected
States.
Outbreak investigation is ongoing in each state through the RRTs
under the coordination of respective State Ministries of Health.
Hospitals have been identified in each state and capacitated to
manage patients who develop symptoms and complications.
Initiating a response to the outbreak, Enugu State Commissioner
for Health, Dr. Ikechukwu Emmanuel Obi during the EOC meeting after definitive
diagnosis of the disease said that the disease had been reported from Etteh-Uno
and Umuopu communities in Igbo-Eze north LGA.
Obi indicated that the state RRT had done an outbreak
investigation and identified those so far affected.
He promised to facilitate a reactive yellow fever mass vaccination
intervention for the affected and neighbouring LGAs.
Meanwhile, the UN health agency said proactive vaccination
campaigns were planned for most at-risk states including Delta in 2020.
The Delta campaign that was supposed to start by the end of
November 2020, has now been brought forward and started on 10 November 2020 in
the affected LGAs.
Speaking on the outbreak, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo says that
Nigeria is one of the countries implementing Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics
strategy.
This strategy is being steered by WHO, Gavi the Vaccine Alliance
and United Nations Children’s Fund, to protect at-risk populations, prevent
international spread and contain outbreaks rapidly.
“As part of EYE strategy, Nigeria has developed a 10-year
strategic plan for the elimination of yellow fever epidemics. Through this
strategy, the country plans to vaccinate at least 80 per cent of the target
population in all states by 2026”, Dr. Mulombo said.
The Delta statewide proactive vaccination campaign was planned
under the EYE strategy.
(NAN)
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