The death toll as a result of the meningitis epidemic in Sokoto State
has now risen to 41, Health Commissioner Dr Balarabe Kakale has said.
Kakale, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto on Sunday when he gave an
update on the state of high alert declared by the state government
since on March 20.
He said that the deaths were mostly recorded out of the nearly 600
clinically confirmed cases of meningitis in the eight worst-hit local
governments.
They are Rabah, Kebbe, Tureta, Gada, Dange/Shuni, Wamakko, Kware and Bodinga.
Kakale said:“the epidemic was caused by the type “C’’ strain of
meningitis and not the type “A’’ strain which the people of the state
had hitherto developed immunity for.
“This new strain of meningitis is deadlier than the dreaded ebola
disease as it kills within four to six hours of afflicting a patient.
“More than eighty per cent of the victims also had not been immunised, hence, the aggravation of the epidemic.’’
The commissioner further stated that the state government has
embarked on a state-wide, mass vaccination for the people of the state,
against meningitis.
He explained that over 700,000 persons, aged one to thirty years were
being targeted across the 23 local governments of the state.
Kakale further stressed the need for the people of the state to
ensure that their children were fully immunised against the child killer
diseases like measles, whooping cough, yellow fever and diphtheria,
among others.
“They should also desist from self medication as adequate drugs and
medicament were provided by the state government for the free treatment
of the patients.
“No fewer than one hundred medical personnel comprising of medical
Doctors, Nurses, ambulances and other logistics are still operating
across the state.
“The people should also desist attaching traditional beliefs like
witchcraft and report all suspected cases of meningitis, measles and
other diseases to the nearest health facility.
“We will not rest on our oars until when the epidemic is fully mitigated, although the cases had drastically reduced.
“Some of the isolation camps hitherto set had since been closed in most of the local governments,’’ Kakale said. (NAN)
No comments: