Nigeria’s Senate President Bukola Saraki has pledged the commitment of the Senate to ending the menace of CerebroSpinal meningitis (CSM) which has claimed the lives of over 300 Nigerians since January 2017.
The federal ministry of health, mid-March, 2017, announced the appearance of a new strain of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis, CSM, which it said was imported to the country from Niger Republic.
In a series of tweets on his handle @BukolaSaraki, the Senate’s president pledged that the upper legislative chamber would treat as an emergency, any request for intervention to end the menace.
With a 15% mortality rate, the @NGRSenate stands ready to respond quickly to any requests for emergency assistance for #meningitis.
— Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) April 3, 2017
He said that he had spoken with the Minister of Health Prof. Isaac Adewole and assured him that the Senate would speedily approve any request sent by the executive to end meningitis.
I spoke to Minister of Health, Prof. @IsaacFAdewole, on the #meningitis outbreak to assure him of @NGRSenate's support.
— Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) April 3, 2017
Saraki commended the ministry and all other stakeholders for their support in ensuring that the disease does not cause more preventable deaths.
I applaud FGs, Ministry of Health, stakeholders and @WHO's efforts to fight meningitis in Nigeria. We need all hands on deck! https://t.co/ZVQB9yYrHA
— Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki (@bukolasaraki) April 3, 2017
In a related development, the health minister, Isaac Adewale, also took to his twitter handle to announce that the ministry would be meeting with stakeholders to approve additional vaccines that would help curb CSM.
Tomorrow, we meet @WHO International Review Group for approval of additional meningitis C vaccines (available in limited qty globally) https://t.co/zsBnT98ZJV
— Prof. Isaac Adewole (@IsaacFAdewole) April 3, 2017
Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Primary Health is currently meeting with the Health Ministry and other stakeholders to examine the cause of the outbreak and also fashion out a way to stop the current problem and prevent a recurrence.
The committee is chaired by Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa.
FG Warns of New Strain Of Meningitis
The federal government says it has deployed epidemiologists and vaccines to arrest the outbreak of a new a strain of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis, CSM, in parts of the country.
The minister of health, Isaac Adewole said this on Thursday, March 16, 2017 in Abuja that the new strain, which is not common in Nigeria, was imported from Niger Republic.
Adewole said that the new strain requires a different type of vaccine and a team of epidemiologists have been deployed to address the challenge.
He described the outbreak of meningitis in Sokoto and Zamfara states as an unfortunate incidence, stressing that the ministry is working hard to contain the situation.
“It has become an annual ritual under this administration; we would want to put an end to annual outbreak of meningitis in some of the northern states.
“I have just spoken with the commissioner for health in Zamfara who is appreciative of what the Federal Ministry of Health has been doing through the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control.
“We have sent field epidemiologists; they are actually called disease detectives, to support them at the state level,’’ Adewole said.
The minister said that government have provided vaccines and would continue to do more in terms of whatever was needed with respect to material and technical support to overcome the outbreak.
“What we know in public health is that there is always an outbreak, but what is uncertain is where and the type.
“We want to be ready at any time,’’ he said.
Additional reports by NAN
