Niger State government has confirmed that two out of the nine new Type C Meningitis reported cases in Suleja, the densely populated suburb of Abuja and Paikoro in Paiko council of the state were isolated cases by two persons that were on transit from Sokoto State.
Niger State started recording deaths as a result of meningitis about three weeks ago. The first set of cases that were erroneously mistaken to be witchcraft was reported at Magama, Rijau and Kontagora council.
The Executive Director, State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPCDA), Dr. Yahaya Na’uzo, said that efforts were being made to intensify campaign against some habits that promote spread of the disease.
He said: “The Type C meningitis case earlier reported at Suleja and Paikoro local government councils as isolated cases by two persons who were on transit from Sokoto state and the ministry has intensified public enlightenment campaigns to curtail spread of the deadly disease.”
With the nine additional deaths, Na’uzo said that Niger State had at the moment recorded 33 deaths as a result of strand of the Cerebro Spinal Meningitis which has continued to claim lives due to excessive heat wave.
As part of efforts to check the spread, the state government is awaiting the arrival of the doses of special vaccines donated to the country by international donor agencies, the executive director of the SPCDA disclosed.
According to him, “Before now Niger State recorded 24 deaths from the Type A and B strands of the disease; the recent nine new deaths were by the more deadly Type C Meningitis”.
Meanwhile, the state government has deployed more health workers to mostly affected local government councils namely; Magama, Rijau, Agwara, Kontagora where the spread was fast sweeping. Na’uzo said that the government was laying emphasis on keeping hygienic health practices.
While calling on citizens to ensure proper ventilation in their homes by leaving their doors and windows open and avoid densely crowded places, Na’uzo said that the affected persons were properly quarantined and evacuated to avoid spread to other people and places.
