Minister Briefs House Of Reps On Lassa Fever

The Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has briefed the House
of Representatives' joint Committees of Health institutions and Health
care services on current status of the outbreak of Lassa fever in the
country.

The briefing which took place at the National Assembly complex, was in
response to the invitation extended to the Minister by the joint
committees to intimate the house and place on record the Ministry's
preparedness to tackle the menace .

In his presentation, titled, 'Laying the foundation for a multi
–sectorial response to Lassa Fever',Adewole explained that the disease
had become endemic in the West African region. In view of this, the
Minister said that the Federal Ministry of Health had inaugurated a
ministerial Committee, comprising of Ministries of Information,
Environment and Agriculture. More so, Professor. Adewole added that
Lassa fever eradication committee and various sub-committees on
Advocacy, Mapping, and Surveillance amongst others, had also been
inaugurated.

The Minister also informed that the FMOH was ready to reactivate more
laboratories, improve environmental sanitation and do away with the
conspiracy of silence which he said was responsible for the high rate
of mortality recorded by most communities who did not inform health
care workers on time about the disease.

Responding, the Chairman of the joint committee, Hon. Chike John
Okafor, said that the house was motivated to invite the minister for
the briefing by the need to stop further spread and lost of lives
because of the disease.

Hon. Okafor then commended the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) for
not resting on its oars to put the disease at bay.
He stated that he was optimistic that the Ministry was equal to the
task as it is also getting Nigeria close to being certified by the WHO
as a polio free nation.

source: www.leadership.ng/news/495180/minister-briefs-house-reps-lassa-fever