Meningitis outbreak claims over 100 lives in Jigawa
Story from Dahiru SULEIMAN, Dutse
An outbreak of meningitis and measles has erupted in seven local government areas of Sule-Tankarkar, Gumel, Babura, Roni, Kazaure and Dutse councils respectively in Jigawa State.
Diseases Surveillance Control Offices of the affected councils have recorded 57 cases of meningitis in the aforementioned councils, while 72 cases of measles were also recorded.
Investigations in the area also revealed that the pandemic has covered at least six LGAs, claiming over 100 lives of children below the ages of five.
Most communities interviewed complained that since the outbreak about a month ago, there was a poor response from the state officials of the Jigawa State Ministry of Health in terms of drafting medical personnel and medication for prompt response in the affected localities but to no avail.
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The Acting Commissioner for Health, Dr Salisu Muazu, when contacted said “upon the received reports of this deadly illness, we have acted promptly in both logistics and medication.
“I took it upon myself to draft competent medical personnel to the worst affected areas in providing all the necessary medical attention in order to save human lives.”
Dr Muazu debunked the notion that his ministry was playing down the situation describing it as unfounded, adding that “we don’t play with issues affecting human lives.”
For example, the Gumel council alone was seriously hit, the menace has claimed over 60 lives on meningitis while cases of measles in councils of Sule-Tankarkar, Maigatari and Babura, the disease has claimed over 40 lives.
Malam Yusuf Ahmad Bulama who was in one of the affected communities in Gumel Council where it was worst hit lamented the issues, saying “we are afraid of the increase of this deadly diseases if state health officials continue with I don’t care attitudes”.
Reports have indicated that most of the affected areas were lacking health facilities and one may only notice the presence of a medical facility after a working distance of 10 to 15 kilometres.
