The World Health Organization (WHO) has blamed the outbreak
of meningitis in some parts of Nigeria, particularly Zamfara State on lack of
robust surveillance, saying the Zamfara outbreak was avoidable.
This was also as the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF)
warned against spread of the meningitis outbreak to the North Eastern part of
Nigeria, which it said is already suffering from malnutrition.
The development partners spoke in Kaduna on
Tuesday at the Emergency Meeting of Northern Traditional Leaders Committee
on Primary Health Care (PHC) delivery and some Northern Governors on
Cerebrospinal Meningitis outbreak in the country.
According to WHO Country Representative, Wondimagegnehu
Alemu said, Nigeria henceforth needs to spend more and invest on outbreak
investigation and detection, particularly in rolling out robust surveillance
system.
He said, 500 cases of meningitis discovered sometimes last
year in Zamfara would have been been avoided if there was a robust surveillance
system.
His words: ‘We really appreciate the timely response of the
Federal Government’s team to this outbreak. We also appreciate that there is
enough space for us to work with governments both at federal and state levels,
that is well appreciated by us.
“We also value the critical role of traditional leaders in
promoting health, preventing diseases and encouraging compliance of people
affected by the diseases. It is often said, health is wealth and none of you
likes to see or have sick people. It is from that perspective I see committed
leaders, officially elected, as well as traditional leaders, standing for their
people.
“I am not going to go into the details, but in the past,
meningitis type A was the one that ravaged most of these areas. Since you have
successfully conducted the preventive vaccination, it has now shifted.
“The current type C is a new one. It has never been known to
cause this magnitude of outbreak; it used to be only sporadic cases. So, that
has left us with no option than to rely on few of the tools that we have
including few number vaccines that are available at global level, through the
strategy contingency plan. The government has applied and has received and
judiciously distributed to the affected places and the vaccination has taken
place. More is coming on the way.
“Now, I will like to take this opportunity as I conclude
that, in as much as we are happy that the surveillance work was able to pick
up, the response was very good and the timely response, particularly from all
levels was commendable, but going forward, we believe that we need to spend
more and invest on detection, outbreak investigation and detection,
particularly in rolling out robust surveillance system, robust surveillance
system is required to identify initial cases that have been occurring in those
areas particularly.
“A good example is the number of 500 cases accidentally
discovered sometimes last year in Zamfara. That would have been been avoided if
there was a robust surveillance system.
“WHO is committed to work with government, particularly with
the Federal Ministry of Health and with the states, starting with Sokoto and
Zamfara to Katsina, depending on the availability of resources to build that
robust surveillance system, starting from health facilities, to LGAs and
finally at the national level. The reason is that, these colleagues at LGA
level could spend more of their time, analysing the data and find out needs to
be done as a matter of rapid response. The second one is along with this,
having a stock of vaccine, medicine, depending on their availability and also
the medical supplies. These are the areas where the Honorable Minister, the
officials of the ministry of health and Governors need to please invest and
help to particularly avoid any future outbreak or stampede at initial stage”,
he said.
In his own goodwill message, UNICEF County Representative,
Mohammed Fall said, children in the North East were already facing the burden
of malnutrition. and all the consequences of the devastating conflicts and
letting meningitis penetrate the region would increase the burden.
According to him, “We express appreciation to the Northern
Traditional Council for the long term partnership with UNICEF with regards to
primary health care in Nigeria. One example was just given by the Governor of
Kaduna State of the partnership we have on polio. Today, Nigeria is very close
to being a polio-free country; this is largely because of this partnership.
“Building on this critical role, I think the calling of this
meeting to get your involvement in the control of the outbreak of meningitis
could not have been more timely than now. Your role cannot be overemphasised,
as communities listen to you, they accept your guidance and what we need today
is to ensure that the messages get to the households, through the communities,
through the families and there is no best partner than you in this fight.
“Meningitis is a highly communicable disease, but it can be
easily controlled through very simple improved hygiene measures, understanding
the mode of transmission, early health seeking behaviour can help very much to
roll back this disease.
“I need to call attention of your excellences to the
situation in the North East. We know that, in the North East, children are
already facing the burden of malnutrition. They are already facing all the
consequences of the devastating conflicts. Now, letting meningitis penetrate
this area would increase the burden and this is why I want to take this
opportunity to appeal to the Federal Minister Health, to appeal to all the
partners for special attention to be paid to avoiding this disease get and
spread into the North East”, he said.
Meanwhile, the Representative of the Department for
International Development (DFID), Salma Kolo blamed the outbreak of the scourge
on weak health system in Northern Nigeria, calling on the leaders of the region
to improve on their efforts to fix the health system.
According to her, “The government of United Kingdom is
concerned about the outbreak of meningitis in Northern Nigeria, just like it is
concerned about the case of maternal and new born mortality. It sympathises
with the government and people of Northern Nigeria and people of Nigeria in
general.
“The United Kingdom government had immediately sent its
contribution of 800,000 dozes of meningitis vaccines through WHO and that has
been acknowledged and it is already being utilised in the country.
“As part of other programmes funded by the UK government,
one of which is reduction and averting maternal death in Northern Nigeria and
also improving child survival.
“The outbreak of meningitis is an indication of weak health
system in Northern Nigeria. And I want to use this opportunity to plead with
the leaders, especially the Executive Governors to continue to put in more
efforts in strengthening the health system, especially the primary healthcare
system.
“Unfortunately we in Northern Nigeria are not privileged,
the vulnerable groups are mainly women and children that are jobless, have no
access to funds. Therefore, their care must be provided for free of charge, 100
per cent free of charge and that is possible. It has been demonstrated in
Nigeria and we are beginning to see the outcome of such commitment through the
work that we do with the state governments’, said DFID representative.
By: Abdulgafar Alabelewe
