Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Health, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora has disclosed that there is presently no vaccine available against Lassa fever in the country.
Mamora stated this to newsmen on Friday in Abuja while providing an update on preparedness for Coronavirus (COVID19), and Lassa Fever in the country.
He, however, said that the World Health Organisation (WHO), and some other global public health entities were working to develop an effective vaccine for the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2017, the National Institute of Health awarded Tulane University in America, more than $12 million to test a promising drug against the Lassa fever virus.
The grant would also go into developing a vaccine based on a recently discovered key antibody target on the surface of the virus.
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Mamora said that significant progress had been made in the identification of the most promising vaccine candidates for the prevention of Lassa fever.
“We are responding to the Lassa fever outbreak. Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 16, we had 586 confirmed cases with 103 deaths from 26 states.
Of the confirmed cases, 73 per cent came from Edo,” he said. He stated that the decline in the number of deaths from Lassa fever compared to previous years was an important outcome that testified to hard work from all relevant agencies.
“We will continue working with other government agencies, states and tertiary hospitals to protect the health of Nigerians. “Public awareness is vital in the fight against infectious diseases.
Lassa fever and COVID19 are threatening lives on this earth. “Let us create awareness in our society,” he said.
The minister noted that the most important preventive methods against Lassa fever outbreak was the elimination of rodent habitats by improving sanitation, safe food storage and preparation, and clean water access.
According to him, the public must be taught on limiting consumption or consuming only safely prepared bush meat, by careful use of gloves and thorough cooking.
Mamora said that in health care facilities, suspected cases required strict infection control precautions to prevent contact with blood, body fluids and contaminated surfaces around infected patients.
“Hand hygiene requires washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitiser between patients. “Safe injection practices require the use of disposable rather than reusable needles.
Similar personal protective measures are needed for safe laboratory handling and safe mortuary services,” he advised.
He, however, called on Nigerians to ensure that they kept their homes clean to prevent rats which were carriers of the virus that causes Lassa fever.
He advised Nigerians to contact the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), via Toll-Free number: 0800-970000-10; SMS: 08099555577; and WhatsApp: 07087110839, if any of the symptoms are noticed.
