Chima Azubuike
The Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, on Friday, said 284 patients out of 310 admitted with cerebrospinal meningitis have been successfully treated and discharged.
He disclosed that 83 samples were taken from the cases, 23 tested positive for cerebrospinal meningitis Type C, and 58 others were negative, while the state still awaits a result.
Dahiru said the state has zero active cases but recorded 27 deaths, which is 8.7 per cent since the sporadic deaths started.
The Commissioner gave these highlights while taking delivery of medical supplies for the management of cerebrospinal meningitis in Gombe State.
He said if the state reaches 20 days from when the last case of cerebrospinal meningitis was recorded, it would be free from the disease.
He noted that the Emergency Operation Centre would continue with case management, active case search and community sensitisation.
The commissioner, however, blamed the recent meningitis outbreaks on heat and exhaustion.
PUNCH Healthwise reported that a lawmaker representing Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, El-Rasheed Abdullahi, raised the alarm over the presence of a strange killer disease killing his constituents.
He said, “In the early weeks of February 2024, we got reports about some mysterious diseases in Nafada in particular, that were killing people, and this necessitated our quick response to Nafada for investigation by 18th of February 2024.
“We activated the Emergency Operation Centre because of the sporadic cases. Some were suspected cases of meningitis, while others were heat exhaustion and some form of conditions associated with the heat in Nafada.
“Having activated the EOC on Cerebrospinal Meningitis, we continued the investigation with an active case search and also established treatment centres. This was sequel to the activation of the Incident Management System.
“Cases were line listed in Nafada, Dukku and Funakaye Local Government Areas as follows in Nafada we had 221 cases, Dukku 78 and Funakaye, 11, making a total of 310 cases. Number of cases treated and discharged for the centres were 284. As of today, we have zero cases of cerebrospinal meningitis in the three LGAs.
“If we are able to reach 20 days from the date of the last case of cerebrospinal meningitis we will be free, but for now we will continue case management active case search and community sensitisation and equally the treatment centres will still remain open and the LGA rapid response team, the state rapid response will be on alert.”
While calling for collaborative efforts with stakeholders towards combating cerebrospinal meningitis, he noted that the state awaits results from a sample collected.
The lawmaker said, “The three LGAs will continue as active IMS centres the remaining we will be on alert. We will do more through community sensitisation. The rapid response team should do active surveillance of diseases. On the number of deaths, Nafada LGA had 18, Dukku, seven, and Funakaye, two, with total fatality put at 27, which is 8.7 per cent.
“With this brief, I want to call on community and religious leaders to continue to woo their wards to the hospital if there is anyone with symptoms of headache, fever including children because they are also susceptible.
“There were 23 positive cases for cerebrospinal meningitis C, 58 negative cases and one sample result is being waited. 83 samples were taken from 310 lines listed, 23 were positive for cerebrospinal meningitis type c, 58 were negative and one we are still awaiting result.”
Representative of the World Health Organisation and Gombe State Surveillance Officer Burnett Samuel, commended the management of the CSM in the state adding, “I want to commend the team for the management ever since CSM was reported in Gombe State. It was an unknown incident until it was confirmed in the laboratory. The state was proactive as it was able to procure some vaccines and immediate response was taken.”
The Field Coordinator for the emergency project Medicins Sans Frontiers, Isiaka Ahmadu, said their plan was to come to the state to assist in the management of CSM kits, adding “We will do training for the risk management staff involved in the campaign.”
Also, the Project Medical Refferent, Nigerian Mission Emergency Response Team, presented the medical supplies for the management of CSM to the Commissioner.
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