The Ondo State government has asked relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to take proactive measures to contain the recent outbreak of Lassa fever.

The state Head of Service (HoS), Bayo Philip, gave the charge while receiving a team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and officials of relevant MDAs in the state in Akure on Friday.

Mr Phillip said the fight against the scourge was often a topic of discussion at all recent meetings of the State Executive Council.

He reiterated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s commitment to winning the fight against Lassa fever and other diseases.

The HoS called on the state Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and Environment, as well as other relevant MDAs, to devise a plan to eliminate the yearly recurrence of Lassa fever.

“ I expect concerned permanent secretaries will come up with what needs to be done as immediate measure and what we must do to sustain this year-in-year-out.

“ Is it in terms of drug supply, in terms of collaboration, in terms of public enlightenment and education, or in terms of environmental cleanness?

“All these must be integrated, and everyone must do his or her part to achieve success in the fight against the disease,” he said.

Mr Phillip urged the NCDC team to get private health facilities involved in the fight to know where their efforts stop and when to refer patients for treatment in appropriate facilities across the state.

He regretted that the unhygienic display of food items accounted for most reported cases of Lassa fever.

Mr Philip called on traditional and religious leaders to join hands with the government to educate residents on the importance of hygienic handling of food items consumed by people.

Speaking earlier, the permanent secretary in the state Ministry of Agriculture, Foluke Tunde-Daramola, said the synergy with the NCDC was informed by the recent prevalence of Lassa fever in the state and the urgent need to address it.

According to her,  relevant state MDAs such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, and Ministry of Environment will be working with the NCDC team.

Also, in her comment, the leader of the NCDC team, Olubunmi Olopha, said the agency had deployed a team of experts to provide the necessary support to the state in the face of the Lassa fever outbreak.

Ms Olopha said that nothing less than 90 out of 200 suspected cases had been confirmed since the reported outbreak in the state, adding that the team would be in the state for two weeks for assessment.

She urged healthcare providers to desist from unnecessary delay in referring suspected cases to appropriate facilities within the state.

The NCDC team lead stated that it would reduce deaths resulting from the disease.

(NAN)