Ondo Govt mobilises residents against disease

The Ondo State Government on Thursday called on residents to improve on their personal and environmental hygiene to prevent further spread of Lassa fever.

The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Health, Dr Taiye Oni, made the call in a statement made available to newsmen on in Akure.

“Following the outbreak of Lassa fever in Owo and Akoko Southwest Local Government Areas, the Ondo State Government is ready to nip it in the bud and the residents should not entertain fear."

“We appeal to residents not to panic but to intensify personal and environmental hygiene, wash hands regularly, get rid of rats and all rodents."

“Avoid overcrowding and avoid mixing with people with symptoms, avoid self-medication when there is fever and headache, and body fluid from dead people."

“The epidemic which seems to have become a reoccurring decimal annually in some part of the state during the dry season, seems to have changed its pattern by deciding to break during the raining season and in Akoko where it has never occurred before,’’ he said.

Oni added that the state was collaborating with the Specialist Hospital, Irua, Edo, and Federal Medical Centre Owo, among others. to tackle the outbreak.

According to him, the state government has intensified public awareness campaign, trying to make the Infectious Disease Annex of the State Specialist Hospital, Akure, functional and its public health laboratory for quick laboratory result.

He said that health workers in the state had been sensitised and were combat-ready, saying that the reported cases had been isolated and put under surveillance.

Oni, therefore, called on the Federal Government to come to the aid of the state to prevent spread of the haemorrhagic fever.