Health
Lassa fever: NCDC identifies preparedness gaps, unveils readiness plan ahead of peak season
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified delays in seeking care, healthcare worker infections and gaps in the functionality of health facilities as key challenges that could undermine Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2026/2027 Lassa fever season.
The health agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, disclosed this in an advisory issued on Wednesday ahead of the peak Lassa fever season, which usually occurs between November and April.
Mr Idris said although Lassa fever occurs throughout the year, the period before the peak season provides an opportunity for the government, health facilities and communities to strengthen preparedness before cases increase.
Lessons from 2026 response
According to him, an After Action Review conducted following the 2026 Lassa fever response identified several gaps requiring urgent attention.
These include delays in seeking appropriate care, self-treatment and patients visiting multiple healthcare providers before Lassa fever is suspected.
Mr Idris also identified continued infections among healthcare workers, particularly when health facilities are under pressure, as well as environmental and household risks linked to poor sanitation, unsafe food storage and exposure to rodents.
He said the review also found limited state ownership and over-reliance on national resources, alongside delays in releasing resources required for preparedness.
Another concern, according to the Mr Idris, was the gap between capacity available “on paper” and what is actually functional.
“For example, having a dialysis machine does not mean dialysis is available if the trained personnel, consumables, water treatment, maintenance and other requirements needed to operate it are not in place,” he said.
Mr Idris said the lessons showed the need to strengthen the entire pathway from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, referral and treatment.
Readiness plan
To address the gaps, Mr Idris said the NCDC had developed an Accelerated Readiness Plan to guide preparedness activities before the peak season.
He said the plan would be implemented nationwide, with additional attention and resources directed to areas where available evidence shows that the burden and risk are highest.
The priorities include earlier detection and reporting of cases, improved environmental sanitation and waste management, safer food storage and handling, and reducing exposure to rodents.
The NCDC will also work to ensure that healthcare providers recognise suspected Lassa fever cases early, protect themselves, report cases and refer patients appropriately.
Mr Idris said the agency would strengthen the transportation and testing of samples, ensure results are returned promptly, and take coordinated action around confirmed cases involving surveillance, environmental health, community engagement, food safety and infection prevention.
He said infection prevention and control measures would be intensified in high-risk facilities through strategies including the IPC Ring Strategy.
In addition, treatment centres will also be supported to ensure they are ready to receive and manage patients, while essential medicines, laboratory supplies and protective equipment are available where needed.
“Think Lassa. Protect. Report. Refer,” Mr Idris urged healthcare workers, adding that every healthcare worker infection should be investigated and lessons from such infections used to prevent further transmission.
Nigerians urged to prepare
Mr Idris urged Nigerians to take practical steps to reduce their risk of infection before the peak season.
He advised households to store food such as rice, garri, beans and maize in properly covered containers and avoid drying food on bare ground or anywhere rodents can contaminate it.
He also urged people to block openings through which rodents can enter homes, reduce clutter, dispose of refuse properly and avoid unnecessary contact with rodents, their urine, faeces and other body fluids.
He advised Nigerians with fever or other symptoms, particularly those living in or who have travelled to areas where Lassa fever occurs, to seek medical attention promptly.
“If you have treated what you believe to be malaria and your symptoms persist, please do not continue treating yourself at home. Seek appropriate medical attention,” he said.
The NCDC, he noted, will also intensify its “Turn a Community Orange” (TACO) approach in selected high-risk communities to promote preventive practices, preparedness and early reporting and referral.
States, LGs asked to act early
Speaking on collective action, Mr Jide called on state and local governments, particularly those with recurrent Lassa fever transmission, to strengthen preparedness before cases increase.
He urged them to improve environmental sanitation and waste management, engage Environmental Health Officers and community structures, and ensure that health facilities can recognise suspected cases, protect healthcare workers, report promptly and refer appropriately.
States were also asked to ensure functional surveillance systems, clear laboratory referral pathways and ready treatment centres, while making essential medicines, laboratory supplies and infection prevention commodities available before the health system comes under pressure.
Support
Mr Idris said the NCDC would continue to support research into changing patterns of Lassa fever transmission, including whether rodents other than Mastomys species may contribute to transmission and the role of asymptomatic infection.
READ ALSO: Lassa Fever: 53 health workers infected as cases hit 1,000 in 2026
He said genomic sequencing would be used to better understand these patterns, while the agency would continue supporting efforts towards developing candidate Lassa fever vaccines and rapid diagnostic tests.
Mr Idris stressed that Lassa fever prevention and control required collaboration among the health, environment, agriculture, livestock and local government sectors, as well as communities and partners.
“We have an opportunity to act before transmission increases. We should not wait for cases to rise before we act. The time to prepare is now,” he said.
Lassa fever
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, which is transmitted to humans primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by the urine or faeces of infected rats.
It can also spread from person to person through contact with bodily fluids.
The disease often begins with fever, weakness, and headache, and may progress to more severe symptoms such as bleeding, difficulty breathing, swelling, and organ failure.
Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with Ribavirin are critical for improving survival.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
A new report by eHealth Africa has revealed that more than 23 million children were reached and vaccinated against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases across more than 205,000 settlements in Nigeria between January and June 2026.
The report, titled “Expanding Reach, Readiness and Resilience: Data-Driven Health Systems Across Africa,” indicates that the vaccination figure was part of a broader set of interventions implemented during the first half of 2026.
Digital tools support vaccination campaigns
In partnership with its immunisation partners, eHealth Africa said it expanded the deployment of its in-house PlanFeld digital tool across 253 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in 10 northern states.
Through the tool, 33,837 vaccination teams were provided with digitised microplans and catchment-area maps, the report stated.
The technology was also deployed across four LGAs in Lagos State during the Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign, with 1,980 digitised maps produced and distributed to vaccination teams.
The report further highlighted efforts to strengthen the last-mile vaccine supply chain in Sokoto State.
Through the Vaccine Direct Delivery (VDD) intervention, the number of health facilities served increased from 351 to 407 during the period.
Approximately 3.41 million vaccine antigens were delivered to the facilities to support immunisation services in underserved communities, according to the report.
Solar power for primary healthcare centres
Beyond immunisation, the report documented eHealth Africa’s investment in renewable energy for primary healthcare.
Under the Renewable Energy for Primary Health Care (RE4PHC) intervention, supported by UNICEF, the organisation solarised 238 primary healthcare centres (PHCs) across 12 states.
Of the 238 facilities, 226 were remotely monitored and generated 277,800 kilowatt-hours of solar electricity between January and June, the report stated.
eHealth Africa estimated that the electricity generated saved about N166 million in fuel costs and prevented 240 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions during the period.
Since the intervention began, estimated fuel savings have exceeded N414 million, according to the report.
Strengthening laboratories and emergency response
The report also highlighted efforts to strengthen diagnostic and disease-surveillance capacity across Africa.
eHealth Africa said it supported 17 laboratories in 13 countries and expanded its Inventory Management System to 18 laboratories.
Upgrades to five laboratories in Ghana, Zambia, Nigeria and Cameroon were also completed and handed over during the period.
The organisation said the upgrades would strengthen infrastructure for diagnosis, surveillance and outbreak response.
Public health
On public health emergency preparedness, eHealth Africa said its 11 Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) in Nigeria continued to serve as coordination platforms for government agencies, surveillance teams, immunisation officials and development partners.
During the first half of 2026, the centres hosted 546 emergency coordination meetings and supported 102 meetings linked to vaccination campaigns, the report stated.
They also produced 74 public health scorecards to support planning and performance monitoring.
Monitoring medicines at the community level
The report also documented an expansion of community-level surveillance of antibiotic availability and suspected substandard and falsified medicines through the Com-WATCH initiative.
The programme covered Kano, Gombe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and the Federal Capital Territory, with 2,512 surveillance actors enrolled.
A further 2,763 medicine vendors and other actors received training, while more than 20,500 community members were reached with sensitisation messages.
By June, 977 medicine outlets were reporting stock information through the platform, eHealth Africa reported.
Humanitarian support
In humanitarian operations, the organisation stated that it managed the World Food Programme Common Storage facility in Ngala, Borno State, which supported 16 humanitarian partners during the period.
According to the report, the warehouse handled 691 metric tons and 2,527 cubic metres of commodities, while six monthly physical inventories were completed.
READ ALSO: Yobe records 511 diphtheria cases, 13 deaths in 2026
The organisation said no stock losses were reported during the period.
‘Significance goes beyond numbers’
Commenting on the findings, eHealth Africa’s Executive Director, Atef Fawaz, said the results reflected what could be achieved when governments, communities, technology, infrastructure and local expertise worked together to strengthen healthcare delivery.
He said the organisation’s focus was not simply on deploying solutions but on building systems that institutions could own, sustain and continue to improve.
“The significance of these results goes beyond the numbers,” Mr Fawaz said.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Yobe State has documented 511 cases of diphtheria and 13 deaths from January to 8 September, according to health authorities.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Muhammad Gana, revealed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Thursday.
Mr Gana explained that the 13 deaths corresponded to a case fatality rate of 2.5 per cent, which is lower than in most other affected states across the country.
He affirmed that the outbreak impacted 12 local government areas in the state, and that vaccination plans in these areas were well underway.
Mr Gana further stated that the current total of 511 diphtheria cases was significantly lower than the 1,100 cases reported in September 2025 and previous years.
He attributed the decline since 2023, when the state recorded its highest burden of 3,080 cases, to sustained outbreak response activities.
The activities listed by the Commissioner included providing free medication to victims, training health workers on response strategies, conducting intensive vaccinations in hard-to-reach areas, community engagement, and sensitisation campaigns against the disease.
READ ALSO: Lassa Fever: Oyo records 131 suspected cases, six confirmed, one death – Commissioner
Additional efforts involved aggressive contact tracing by health personnel, sharing updates with relevant stakeholders, holding regular coordination meetings, and mobilising resources for outbreak response.
Mr Gana praised the support from WHO, UNICEF, and the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) for assisting the state’s vaccination campaign against diphtheria, especially in nomadic settlements.
Diphtheria is a bacterial infection that primarily affects the throat and upper respiratory tract.
It mainly spreads through respiratory droplets expelled by coughing or sneezing, and occasionally through direct contact with infected skin lesions or contaminated secretions.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
-
News2 days agoHackers are stealing Claude tokens from subscribers
-
News4 days ago
Govt steps up data protection scrutiny across e-commerce sector
-
Business2 days ago
Tinubu urges banks to turn recapitalisation into jobs, production
-
Health2 days ago
Health leaders to tackle Nigeria’s policy implementation gap at October conference
