Meningitis Outbreak: Death Toll Rises To 336

The disease which recently hit several northern states has created panic across the country.

“As at April 3, 2017, a total of 2,997 suspected cases of CSM have been reported in 16 States in Nigeria, of which 146 have been laboratory-confirmed. Unfortunately, 336 deaths have also been recorded,” Lawal Bakare, a spokesperson of the NCDC said in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr. Bakare said the NCDC and other stakeholders, activated an Emergency Operations Centre, EOC, to manage the current outbreak.

“This brings the national response into an Incidence Management System, IMS, to ensure that all activities across the country will be managed using a clear command and control structure,” the spokesperson said.

He said that a total of 500,000 doses of Meningitis `C’ vaccines have been distributed to some of the affected states for immediate outbreak response vaccination.

The manager added that an additional 823,970 doses of Meningitis `C’ vaccines were being expected from the United Kingdom to support vaccination activities in other affected states.

Bakare explained that with the new coordinating structure, Nigeriawill have a tight, multi-partner team of experts pulled from the most competent agencies focusing on outbreak control in the country.

He noted that John Oladejo, who heads the emergency preparedness and response at the NCDC, would act as the Incident Manager of the response team.

According to him, the Incident Manager would report through the Chief Executive Officer of the NCDC to the Minister of Health.

He said the team would commence a robust national communication and social mobilisation campaign, focused on CSM prevention and control in rural and urban areas of affected states.

“We are confident that we have turned the tide, and with increasing vaccination activities, expect a reduction in number of cases.

“Importantly, lessons learned from this outbreak will help the country prepare for the future,” he said.

Recall that Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki on Monday pledged the commitment of the Senate to ending the menace of CSM which has claimed hundreds of lives across the country since January 2017.

Saraki, in a series of tweets on his handle @BukolaSaraki, pledged that the upper legislative chamber would treat as an emergency, any request for intervention to end the menace.