Ondo, Edo, Taraba, and Bauchi remain the worst-hit, accounting for 67% of all confirmed cases. Ondo State tops the list with the highest number of infections, followed by Edo and Bauchi.

Other affected states include, Ebonyi, Benue, Kogi, Gombe, Plateau, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Enugu, Delta, Anambra, Rivers, Borno, Oyo, Ogun, Federal Capital Territory, and Lagos.

The NCDC noted that most of the confirmed cases are among individuals aged 21 to 40 years, a demographic that is typically more socially and economically active, increasing their risk of exposure to the virus.

The NCDC urged Nigerians to adopt preventive measures, by storing food securely, covering household waste, maintaining environmental hygiene, reducing contact with rodents

Read Also: Lassa Fever: Ondo records upward trend with seven new cases, one death

The agency also called for greater collaboration between states, communities, and healthcare providers to prevent further spread.

“Without sustained public awareness and strengthened control measures, Lassa fever will remain a recurring public health challenge,” the NCDC warned.

As the country continues its fight against the disease, health officials emphasise that vigilance and early detection remain critical in reducing infections and saving lives.

Source: Channels

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In response to a 160% increase in Mpox cases this year, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Africa CDC has declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of Continental Security, PHECS.

The World Health Organisation, WHO Country Representative in Nigeria, Walter Mulombo, announced that Nigeria will receive doses of the Mpox vaccine as a donation from the United States Government. 

He emphasized that Nigeria is currently at moderate risk for an outbreak of the disease.

At a joint briefing in Abuja,  NCDC Director-General Jide Idris highlighted that the current practice of using two laboratories to confirm suspected cases is no longer sufficient.

He announced that Lagos University Teaching Hospital and the African Center for Genomics will be added to enhance case confirmation.

Idris assured that the NCDC remains vigilant and has established an Emergency Operations Centre and an Incident Management System since Mpox was declared a public health emergency of international concern. He also stressed the importance of state governments setting up their own emergency preparedness and response teams.

Mulombo reinforced the need for continued vigilance against Mpox and assured that Nigeria would benefit from the US vaccine donation despite the global shortage.

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The Director-General, NCDC, Jide Idris, made this known during an interview  in Abuja, stressing that yellow fever, a viral infection transmitted by infected mosquitoes, also posed significant health risks.

According to him, the spike in yellow fever incidents can largely be attributed to heightened mosquito activities, as these insects are primary vectors for the disease. He said yellow fever is an epidemic-prone, vaccine-preventable disease caused by an arbovirus transmitted to humans primarily through the bite of infected Aedes and Haemagogus mosquitoes.

He added that the incubation period ranges from three to six days. The NCDC boss said that a small percentage of cases progressed to a toxic phase, with systemic infection affecting the liver and kidneys.

Idris also said that yellow fever is preventable through a vaccine, which is safe and affordable, adding, that a single dose of yellow fever vaccine is sufficient to grant sustained immunity and life-long protection.

The NCDC boss said implementing effective mosquito control measures could substantially reduce the risk of yellow fever infection noting that stagnant water serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes and advised people to regularly clean their surroundings to eliminate breeding space for mosquitoes.

He noted that by following preventive measures, communities could better protect themselves from yellow fever during the rainy season.

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Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC,  Jide Idris, who disclosed this in Abuja, said the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, is leading the discussions with GAVI.

The development came as NCDC  announced an increase in the death toll and spread of the disease across 32 states and 115 local government areas of the federation.

Nigeria utilises three World Health Organization, WHO, pre-qualified oral cholera vaccines, including Dukoral, Shanchol, and Euvichol-Plus.

Two doses of any of the three vaccines are required for full protection and are administered only to persons and groups at high risk, such as travellers to areas with active cholera transmission or people living in areas experiencing outbreaks.

On the request for emergency doses of cholera vaccine,, Idris said: “GAVI, a global health partnership, plays a pivotal role in improving access to vaccines in low-income countries. Through these negotiations, Nigeria aims to secure an emergency supply of cholera vaccines to curb the outbreak.

Idris explained further that there is a surge in global demand for cholera vaccines, leading to severe shortage, even though he noted that the limited supply has strained efforts to control outbreaks in endemic regions, including Nigeria.

 While noting that more vaccines were being ordered because of the scale of the problem, the NCDC D-G called for stronger international collaboration to ensure that life-saving vaccines reach the most vulnerable populations promptly.

He regretted that cholera, an acute diarrheal disease caused by ingestion of contaminated water or food, remained a persistent health threat in Nigeria, with the outbreak significantly impacting several states, leading to deaths and overwhelming healthcare facilities.

In 2021, Nigeria received approval from WHO for over 3.5 million doses of the oral cholera vaccine. In 2022, the country requested an additional nine million doses of the vaccines.
The effectiveness of the cholera vaccine varies, depending on the type of vaccine and the number of doses given.

As recommended by the World Health Organisation, WHO, experts say a single dose offers protection, but two doses are generally more effective.

While significant protection lasts at least three years, a single dose for young children might need a booster in the third year.

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The NCDC said as of 24th June 2024, a total of 1,528 suspected cases and 53 deaths have been recorded across 31 states.

It added that following a dynamic risk assessment of the cholera epidemiological situation which placed the country at a very high risk of increased cholera transmission, the National Cholera Emergency Operations Centre has been activated.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State Government said one person had died and 25 cases of the disease were confirmed in the area.  The casualty is from Ijebu North local government of the state.

According to the Ogun State Health Commissioner Tomi Coker who gave the figure in Abeokuta,  free surveillance and emergency treatment have been activated in all 20 local government areas of the state.

Coker identified Abeokuta South, Abeokuta North, Obafemi/ Owode, Ijebu North, Ado, and Odo/ OTA local government areas as the most hit by the disease.

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NCDC noted that the number of confirmed cases increased from four in week 20 to 10 in the reporting week, adding that the number of suspected cases increased compared to that reported for the same period in 2023.

Cumulatively, Nigeria has recorded 897 confirmed cases and 162 deaths in 2024 with a case fatality rate of 18.1 per cent, which is higher than the CFR for the same period in 2023 ,17.1 per cent.

According to NCDC, 28 states have confirmed, at least, one case across 125 local government areas  in 2024.

It noted that 65 per cent of the confirmed cases were recorded from four states: Ondo, Bauchi, Edo and Plateau, while 35 per cent was reported from 25 states.  Of the 65 per cent, Ondo State accounted for 25 per cent, Edo, 22 per cent, and Bauchi, 18 per cent.

It said that people between the ages of 31 and 40 are predominantly affected by the disease, adding that no health worker was infected in the reporting week.

Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic ,excessive bleeding, illness transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated by infected rodents or contaminated persons.

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