Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it has now raised its disease surveillance system over possible outbreak of life-threatening diseases like cholera, ebola, monkeypox, meningitis, measles and Covid-19 in Abuja and its environs in the FCT.
The FCTA disclosed that the Epidemiological Division of the Public Health Department, under the FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat HHSS, in Abuja, has gone into the alert mode of all these diseases, posing mortal dangers to humans.
This was made known by the Director of, the FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Sadiq Abdulrahaman, while briefing the media on the state of preparedness and response of the FCTA health sector, in Abuja, who disclosed that the FCT which also includes Abuja, is on high alert mode, as part of proactive measures taken, even though it has not witnessed any serious outbreak of the diseases within the year ending,
He added that periodically, there is a weekly review, in conjunction with FCTA partners like the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Nigeria Centre for Disease and Control (NCDC), and Disease Surveillance and Notification officers, who are key foot soldiers at the Area Councils level.
According to him, “for Ebola viral disease, which is a big global disease of public health concern, though it is not yet witnessed in Nigeria except for the last case in 2014, we are aware that there is already an outbreak in DRC Congo, with so many consequences from quite a several deaths, and closure of schools. So, here (FCT) we have executed a high alert mode even though we have not witnessed any case yet.
“So, proactive measures have been taken. Our surveillance system is heightened, and the FCT Administration bought quite several commodities, particularly for these key diseases like Cholera that we witnessed in 2021. We went on advocacy visits to key stakeholders, especially in those Area Councils that had high potent of the disease during the outbreak such as AMAC, Kuje and Bwari.
“The Epidemiological Division of the Department, under FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), has gone into the alert mode of all these diseases including incidence managers for COVID-19, Cholera, monkeypox and so on.
“Also, there is ongoing training retraining of our health workers especially those involved in periodic reporting of these diseases.
“Of course, awareness creation and support from stakeholders especially the media is key to getting to the grassroots, as it can only be mitigated if those in the hinterlands get the timely and right information, to take the right decision concerning their health”.
“For cerebral spinal meningitis, from January to date, we witnessed zero cases, for cholera witnessed only two suspected cases, and zero laboratories confirmed; and for viral hemorrhagic fever especially Lassa fever which is endemic, we had 11 suspected cases and only one laboratory confirmed with no death.
“For measles, we had about 245 suspected cases, and zero laboratories confirmed. And for Monkey pox, which had brought a wave in the recent past, cumulatively, we had about 58 suspected cases, with 9 confirmed in the FCT from January to date”.
On Covid-19, the Director noted that despite the presidential directive on 12th December 2022, relaxing safety measures and travel advisory in the country, there is still an emphasis on issues around gathering, the use of masks and travel protocols especially for vulnerable groups, as the deadly disease still surges in the world.
“We are not yet celebrating, as the disease has diffused in most countries including Nigeria. So, the pronouncement from the Presidential Steering Committee was a result of a sustained reduction in both clinical and laboratory tests visa vice infection transmission of the disease,” he said.