Lassa Fever: NCDC cautions Nigerians on Self Medication

IRRUA____The Coordinator Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu has called on Nigerians to always see the need to get a diagnosis and desist from self medication, in a view to prevent serious and complicating illness.

Dr Ihekweazu made the call at a workshop on the Management and control of Lassa Fever and other viral Hemorrhagic fevers organised by the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, (ISTH) Irrua, in collaboration with the Nigeria center for Disease Control (NCDC) in Irrua on tuesday.

The NCDC coordinator said "The most important message we have been giving to Nigerians is when you have a fever go to the hospital and get a diagnosis, the era of self medication has gone". He also commended ISTH in their efforts in engaging and supporting the communities affected with lassa fever, describing them as a leader in the diagnosis, care and management of patients with lassa fever in Nigeria.

"The Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH) has really developed as a center for excellence, not just for patients in Edo state, because samples have been sent from all over the country to this facility", he added.

In his welcome address, the Chief Medical Director (CMD), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (ISTH), Dr. Sylvanus Okogbenin stated that the ISTH has built substantial capacity and gathered enormous experience in the management and control of lassa fever, noting that since the establishment of the molecular diagnostic and research laboratory in the hospital in 2008, over 10,000 blood samples have been submitted and tested for lassa fever from 27 states of the federation.

He said the ISTH which was established in 1993 has become the Epicenter of lassa fever outbreaks in Nigeria, stating that in recognition of the hospital's initiative and leadership in lassa fever control, the federal government of Nigeria designated the hospital as a center of excellence for the management and control of lassa fever in Nigeria.

Also speaking on the workshop the CMD said "This training workshop is intended to share our robust experience in the management and control of lassa fever and other VHFs, from the clinical, laboratory and public health perspectives, we are most grateful to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) for their collaboration and support for this workshop and to our research partner (BNI Germany and Harvard University) who have come to facilitate this workshop".

The Director, Institute of Lassa Fever Research and Control ISTH, Dr Ephraim Ogbaini noted that the workshop has been long expected and overdue, while stating that Lassa Fever remains a spreading epidemic in Nigeria.

Dr Ogbaini said "in 2008 only seven states were affected with the virus, but from February 2017 more than 16 states has been affected, so it's spreading, so we need to share our experience as the center for excellence for the management and control of lassa fever in Nigeria.

"We don't want to contain this experience without sharing this experience, so that explains why we organize this workshop and we are happy the NCDC is partnering with us, we have state epidemiologists that are present here, we have public health physicians and workers, environmental health workers, laboratory scientists, pathologist, so it's an all round training", he stressed.

Also speaking at the workshop, one of the partners and lecturer from Harvard university, Prof Christian Happi said the hospital was making tremendous progress, recalling that back in 2007 when the institute was started there was nothing on ground, reiterating that the facilities in the hospital are top class and cannot be seen anywhere in the country.
The workshop ran from Tuesday 2nd of May to Saturday 6th of May 2017