Rapid Reaction Teams Are Sent By Ncdc To Jigawa, Yobe, And Katsina.
A Rapid Response Team (RRT) from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has been sent to Jigawa, Yobe, and Katsina State.
This was said on Monday in Abuja at a Ministerial biweekly meeting on the update on COVID-19 response and progress in the nation’s health sector by Dr. Pricilla Ibekwe, Head of Special Projects and Partnerships Unit at NCDC.
Ibekwe said that the RET’s deployment was in response to the State Government’s report of an increase in suspected Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) cases.
CSM, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), is an acute inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
It is a highly dangerous infection that, if untreated, may be fatal.
CSM is still a significant problem for public health in the African meningitis belt, impacting 25 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Nigeria, among other nations.
Ibekwe said that according to the first records, there were 117 suspected cases and 12 confirmed cases between EPI Week 49 in 2022 and EPI Week II in 2023, with a Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of 27%.
“We have also given out goods.
However, since Yobe and Katsina States are close to Jigawa, she said, “We have also dispatched RRT personnel to Yobe and Katsina to analyze, improve on the level of readiness and to perform active CSM case finding for early identification of cases already exist.”
In the meanwhile, she advised Nigerians to prevent overcrowding and make sure their homes have enough ventilation to prevent the spread of CSM.
When sneezing or coughing, cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or blow into your elbow.
“Frequently wash your hands, particularly after sneezing or coughing. If you get a sudden high temperature or neck stiffness, seek diagnosis and treatment at a medical institution, she suggested.
She urged all medical professionals to take universal care measures at all times, such as donning gloves while caring for a sick family or touching patients.
