The Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (BSPHCDA) has confirmed that 21 residents died of Lassa fever between January and December 2020.
Dr. Rilwan Mohammed, the Executive Chairman of the agency, disclosed this on Thursday in an interview with journalists.
He said the state had 59 confirmed cases of Lassa fever in 10 local government areas, recorded 21 deaths, while 6 patients with confirmed cases were in isolation.
Mohammmed said that the number of deaths in the state was the highest in the country and expressed the hope that it would soon get a lassa testing centre.
According to him, the state governor earmarked N9 million to BSPHCDA to fumigate prone areas.
He also said the state was targeting 400,000 children between the ages of nine months and 15 months to be vaccinated against measles.
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“I am appealing to mothers to ensure that their children receive the full dosage of the vaccine,’’ the BSPHCDA boss said.
He said the state government received four million doses of yellow fever vaccines from the Federal Government.
Mohammed said that vaccination programme would be conducted in January 2021, pointing out that children who are one-year-old would be the target as they are most vulnerable.
He explained that effort was being made to ensure that yellow fever outbreak did not spread to other local government areas and neighbouring states of Kano and Jigawa.
He said that the vaccination against yellow fever would be conducted in 19 LGAs with the exception of Alkaleri where vaccination was carried out in 2019.
Mohammmed lamented the refusal of some people to be vaccinated despite the vigorous educative and enlightenment programmes by the agency.
“We have radio, television programmes and pamphlets. and other messages that are passed across, yet some people don’t respond,” he said (NAN)
