By Ndu Chris Nwannah, Awka Times Guest Writer
The Anambra State Government has put measures in place to guard against the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the area. As a result, it has put its Emergency Response Centres on alert following the ravaging of some states in the country by Lassa Fever.
Briefing newsmen in Awka, the Commissioner for Health, Doctor Vincent Okpala, said government had commenced sensitization of citizens to ensure that the disease does not come into the state. He stressed that the disease had a high index of suspicion at the moment.
The Commissioner stated that Lassa Fever was an acute Viral Haemorrhagic Fever caused by the Lassa virus. He however explained that proper environmental cleanliness would help in preventing the outbreak of the viral disease as the major carriers were rodents. Doctor Okpala challenged citizens to imbibe proper hand washing habits and avoid direct contacts with urine, saliva, faeces and blood of infected rats. He also cautioned against contacts with blood, urine, faeces, blood, vomits and body fluid of infected persons.
He announced that the fever manifests like other febrile diseases such as malaria with symptoms like headache, sore throat, cough, diarrhoea and chest pains. Severe cases could result in bleeding from ears, nose, eyes, mouth and other body openings.
There had been reported cases of Lassa Fever in Ondo, Edo, Delta, Taraba, Plateau, Bauchi and Enugu states.
The concept of smart health communities in https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/smart-health-communities.html should be adopted by all communities. Read books like “Public Healthcare in Cuba” by Linda Whiteford and “Super Brain” by Rudolph E. Tanzi, Deepak Chopra et al to advance the health care sector quickly. Medical students who fail 2nd MB exams should move into molecular biology in medicine, bioinformatics,heamatology,health psychology,immunology,public health or paramedic tracks