The Ondo government has mapped out strategies to combat the outbreak of Lassa fever ahead of the dry season, says the state’s health ministry’s permanent secretary Folukemi Aladenola. 

This was disclosed in a statement on Thursday.

Ms Aladenola gave the assurance after an emergency operation committee meeting at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Akure.

The ministry official, represented by the epidemiologist and director of disease control, Stephen Fagbemi, said the Ondo government decided to be ready with the strategies as the number of cases of Lassa fever was usually high at the onset of the dry season in November.

She stated that it was important to strategise and begin to roll out information on the seasonal pattern of the disease.

The permanent secretary explained that there was a continuous need to contain the spread of the virus through sensitisation to the ways people could escape being infected by the disease.

She added that since Ondo is Lassa fever-endemic, there was a need for synergy among health workers for proper diagnosis and prompt notification.

“The committee emphasised that the general public must be sensitised appropriately, especially farmers and dwellers in rural and agrarian societies, on how best to prevent an outbreak by keeping food items in ways that are not accessible to rodents and that they should stop bush burning,” Ms Aladenola explained.

She added, “The committee also called on the people of the state to promote good hygiene at homes and in their various communities and also put measures in place to discourage rodents from entering their homes.”

The meeting resolved that strategies that would be used to combat the outbreak of the illness included training clinicians, rolling out sensitisation jingles, radio drama, motorised campaign and use of social media, added the official. 

(NAN)