Lifestyle

NCDC urges Nigeria to prepare well for next pandemic

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says a peacetime health system is needed to better prepare for the next pandemic.

NCDC director-general Ifedayo Adetifa said this on Monday in Abuja at the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria (IHVN) and the International Research Centre of Excellence (IRCE) Scientific Seminar.

Mr Adetifa said there was a need to develop libraries for rapid diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine development in anticipation of disease ‘X’.

He said Nigeria also needed to intensify its health promotion, disease prevention and emergency response approaches.

The NCDC chief added that a strengthened laboratory diagnosis capacity and coordinated surveillance could not be overwhelmed.

According to him, data, data and more data, freely shared, will allow for better decision-making across the country.

Mr Adetifa, however, mentioned that the country’s key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic was the role of political will and specific strategies.

He said that reliable data was critical for informed decision-making, while Strategic collaboration and partnership were essential.

The director-general of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Babatunde Salako, also stressed the need for adequate funding for research in the country.

Mr Salako explained that funding must be provided to research the area of disease surveillance, prevention, detection and treatment in the country.While commending IHVN for its continuous efforts towards research in the country, he said that NIMR would continue to support its efforts in Nigeria.

Alash’le Abimiku, the executive director of the International Research Center of Excellence, IHVN, said IRCE possessed a clear vision and mission which align with IHVN’s.

According to Ms Abimiku, IRCW provides leadership in research in Nigeria and West Africa through globally standardized expertise, transparency and accountability, positively shifting the culture of research in Africa.

She said that IRCE has the following main objectives — to fulfil its goal of creating an enabling environment for creative thinking and innovation in science to address Nigeria’s and global health priorities.

“Fosters collaborations and synergism between Nigeria’s finest researchers and their counterparts at international research institutions and universities,” Ms Abimiku stressed.

“Provides a safety net that protects IHVN and its collaborators from liability by proactively ensuring that research conducted at IHVN is under the highest scientific and ethical standards.”

Lifestyle

Cross River, Zamfara and Ebonyi with most cholera cases in Nigeria- NCDC

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), has said that six states, Cross River (397), Zamfara (25), Ebonyi (11), Abia (9), Bayelsa (3) and Kano (2), reported 447 suspected cholera cases in weeks 5 to 9 of 2023.

The NCDC, via its official website on Monday, said, however, that 12 states have reported suspected cholera cases since the beginning of 2023 – Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Sokoto and Zamfara.

The agency said that as of March 5, a total of 922 suspected cases, including 32 deaths (CFR 3.5%), were reported from the 12 States in 2023, including Cross River (16), Ebonyi (six), Abia (six), Niger (two), Zamfara (one) and Bayelsa (one).

The NCDC’s epidemiological report showed that of all the cases recorded since the beginning of 2023, Cross River state accounted for 70 per cent of the cumulative cases across the country, with its 647 cases.It said that Cross River’s 16 deaths, accounted for 50 per cent of all cholera deaths in the country.

The NCDC said:

“National multi-sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to monitorresponse across states.

It said that of the suspected cases since the beginning of 2023, the age group above 45 years is the most affected for males and females.

The NCDC said that of all suspected cases, 54 per cent were males and 46 per cent were females.The World Health Organization (WHO), defined cholera as an acute diarrheal illness caused by infection of the intestine with Vibrio cholera bacteria.

WHO said that people can get sick when they swallow food or water contaminated with cholera bacteria. The infection is often mild or without symptoms, but can sometimes be severe and life-threatening.

It said that about one in 10 people with cholera will experience severe symptoms, which, in the early stages, include, profuse watery diarrhoea, sometimes described as “rice-water stools”, vomiting, thirst, leg cramps and restlessness or irritability.

Lifestyle

Diphtheria death toll increases to 34

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The NCDC blamed the rising cases of the vaccine-preventable disease on low vaccination coverage across the country.

The agency said;

“The fact that we are having a resurgence of diphtheria now suggests that there have been critical reductions in vaccination coverage among pockets of our population.

“This reduced level of population immunity has given rise to the cases that we are seeing.

“It is not a matter of diphtheria spreading from state to state, the bacteria that causes the disease is present everywhere in our environment.

“Any state where you find diphtheria now, you are likely to find that it will be associated with suboptimal vaccination coverage, either in general or in pockets of the population.”

Suspected cases of diphtheria in Kano have also risen from 25 to 100 in less than two weeks.

The disease is prevalent in Ungogo, Nassarawa, Bichi, Dala, Dawakin Kudu, Fagge, Gwale, Kano Municipal, Kumbotso, Rano, Dawakin Tofa and Gwarzo local government areas.

Lifestyle

NCDC places health workers on alert following outbreak of diphtheria

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Healthcare workers in the country have been directed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to maintain a high index of suspicion for diphtheria following the outbreak of the disease in the country.

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection caused by the bacterium called Corynebacterium species that affects the nose, throat and sometimes, skin of an individual. Its symptoms include fever, runny nose, sore throat, cough, red eyes (conjunctivitis) , and neck swelling.

In severe cases, a thick grey or white patch appears on the tonsils and/or at the back of the throat associated with difficulty breathing.

Director-General, NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa said on Thursday night that they’ve responded to reports of diphtheria cases in Lagos and Kano states.

Adetifa also said they are monitoring the situation in Osun and Yobe states where cases are now being picked up.

Kano State Ministry of Health has already revealed that the diphtheria outbreak has so far killed 25 people with 58 suspected cases and six persons on admission.

According to NCDC, diphtheria spreads easily between people through; direct contact with infected people, droplets from coughing or sneezing, and contact with contaminated clothing and objects.

People who are at risk of contracting diphtheria are:

1. Children and adults who have not received any or a single dose of the pentavalent vaccine (a diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine).

2. People who live in a crowded environment.

3. People who live in areas with poor sanitation.

4. Healthcare workers and others who are exposed to suspected/confirmed cases of diphtheria.

Parents have been asked to ensure that their children are fully vaccinated against diphtheria with three doses of the pentavalent vaccine as recommended in the childhood immunisation schedule.

Lifestyle

583 Nigerians died of cholera in 2022 – NCDC

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has disclosed that about 583 Nigerians died of cholera in 2022.

According to the NCDC, 23,550 cases were reported from across 32 states, plus the Federal Capital Territory, between January and November 2022.

The suspected cases were reported across 270 Local Government Areas. Borno topped with 12,459 cases, followed by Yobe with 1,888 cases.

Katsina with 1,632 cases, while Gombe recorded 1,407 cases. Taraba recorded 1,142 cases and Kano with 1,131 cases.

A report from the health agency read;

“32 states and the FCT have reported suspected cholera cases in 2022. These are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, FCT, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara.

“In the reporting month, six states reported 1,393 suspected cases: Borno (1,124), Gombe (165), Bauchi (61), Katsina (16), Adamawa (14), and Kano (13).

“There was a 78 per cent decrease in the number of new suspected cases in November Epi weeks 44–47 (1393) compared with October Epi weeks 40–43 (6306).

“In the reporting week, Borno (24), Gombe (14), Bauchi (13), Kano (5), Katsina (1), and Adamawa (1), reported 58 suspected cases.“Borno, Gombe, and Bauchi states account for 88% of the 58 suspected cases reported in week 47. During the reporting week, two Cholera Rapid Diagnostic tests were conducted in Gombe 2 (100% positive).

“Two stool culture tests were conducted from Gombe, 1(100 per cent positive) and Bauchi 1(0 per cent positive) in epi week 47. Of the cases reported, there were two deaths with a weekly case fatality ratio (CFR) of 3.4 per cent. There were no new state-reported cases in week 47.

“The National Multi-Sectoral Cholera Technical Working Group continues to monitor response across states.”

World News

Cholera kills 233 in 31 states, 173 die of Lassa Fever – NCDC

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has revealed that a total of 10, 217 suspected cases of cholera, including 233 deaths, have been recorded in 31 states this year.

Speaking at a ministerial briefing where he gave an update on COVID-19 response and development in the health sector, Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Ifedayo Adetifa said on Tuesday October 11, that there’s a 47 percent increase in the number of new suspected cholera cases in August epidemiological week 36-39 (4017) compared with July epidemiological week 31-35 (2151).

Adetifa also said there’s been 933 confirmed cases and 173 deaths from Lassa fever as at Week 39, from 25 states. Out of all the confirmed cases, 71 percent were from Ondo, Edo and Bauchi States.

He also said that out of 18,545 confirmed measles cases, 234 deaths were recorded as at week 39 in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Out of 1,180 suspected Monkeypox cases, 481 cases were confirmed and seven deaths have been recorded this year.

Adetifa also said that COVID-19 cases had continued to decline in various countries, and case trends in Nigeria have varied.

Politics

COVID-19 still around in Nigeria –NCDC

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The Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr. ChIkwe Ihekweazu, on Saturday, warned Nigeria against a false sense of COVID-19 eradication in the country.

Ihekweazu spoke on the COVID-19 pandemic at a webinar for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) 2021 Batch B members in Abuja.

He called for collaboration with corps members to ensure sustenance of the measures aimed at checking the spread of the virus across the country.

The NCDC chief said: “The mistake we can all make is to think the COVID-19 virus has gone away.

“Corps members have to work collaboratively with us to sustain the goals we have made in mitigating the risk of transmission in orientation camps.”

Politics

NCDC deploys response team to Kano over strange illness

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The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) on Monday deployed a National Rapid Response Team to Kano State to unravel the source of a strange illness and manage identified victims in the state.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, disclosed this at the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja.

The Kano State government confirmed at the weekend that at least over 200 people had been affected and four others killed by the strange illness in 13 local government areas of the state.

Ihekweazu said the state’s Ministry of Health reported a cluster of cases in 13 LGAs in the state with the victims showing symptoms that included fever, vomiting, yellowish eyes and abdominal pain.

He said: “We have tested four samples taken from these cases for Lassa fever and yellow fever at the NCDC National Reference Lab. But their results were negative.

“A National Rapid Response Team with colleagues from the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), NCDC and NAFDAC, have now been deployed to Kano State.

We are working with our sister agency, NAFDAC, as well as a toxicologist from Federal Ministry of Health to test for potential non-infectious causes.”

The NCDC chief said the agency had also collected additional human and environmental samples for metagenomic sequencing – a method for detecting new cases of illness.

“Our immediate focus is to identify the cause of this outbreak, ensure management of current cases and to control transmission.

“We will continue to keep members of the public aware of our findings while we support the state’s response,” Ihekweazu added.

Politics

Second wave of COVID-19 is possible – NCDC.

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Nigeria may experience a second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, has said.

He disclosed this at the ongoing media briefing with reporters organised by the National Youth Service Corps on Monday.

The DG said the country must abide by the protocols and guidelines developed to avoid a second wave of the virus.

He warned that the virus was still around and more dangerous despite the drop in recorded cases.

Lifestyle

COVID-19: NCDC announces 201 fresh cases

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), has announced 201 fresh coronavirus cases in Nigeria.

The health agency also confirmed it recorded one fatality due to the disease.

The NCDC made this known on its official twitter handle on Wednesday.

It said that the new cases bring the nation’s total confirmed figure to 58,848.
Lagos recorded the bulk of the new infections with 77 cases, while Rivers, Plateau and FCT had 37, 25 and 13 new cases respectively.

Others included Kaduna and Ogun, 12 cases each, Adamawa, eight, Taraba, seven, Imo, four, Kwara and Osun, two each, while Abia and Oyo had one each.

It added that 58,848 cases have been confirmed, with 50,358 patients discharged while 1,112 deaths have been recorded in the country.

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