Averting Meningitis Epidemic In Rivers

News of the resurgence of the deadly Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis (CSM) in Nigeria started trending in November, last year. Between then and now, CSM has claimed over 700 lives.
The ailment had earlier in 1996 and 2009 equally claimed several lives. However, the gradual but steady elimination of the nation’s workforce by CSM which has become a yearly ritual in the past 21 years, is a damning testament to the nation’s zero plans for preventive health.
Even more frightening and shameful is the call by a high-ranking government official last Thursday, urging Nigerians to pray for God’s intervention over the spread of CSM as the nation lacks enough vaccines to curb the prevalent Type C strain of the disease.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Chairman of the National Immunization Finance Task Force (NIFT), Ben Anyene, restated the authority’s helplessness over the health emergency, stressing that the government does not have enough vaccines.
It was gathered that while a total of 500,000 doses of Meningitis C vaccines have been distributed to some of the affected States in the North with additional 832,970 doses being expected from the United Kingdom for other affected states, Zamfara alone which needs about three million doses was given 300,000.
CSM is a serious infection that can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50 percent of cases if not treated. Some of the symptoms are fever, headache, catarrh, stiff neck and in advanced cases, sardonic laughter.
The disease is prevalent in the North of Nigeria due to the scorching heat. Also, poor ventilation, dry and dusty wind and poor hygiene promote the disease.
It is, however, alarming that, in this current resurgence, CSM has been reported not only in states like Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger, but also in Cross River, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Against this frightening development, The Tide calls on the Rivers State Ministry of Health and other stakeholders in the health sector to take proactive steps to ensure that the State is immune to the disease and that in the case of any incidence, it is managed professionally and expeditiously.
We are not unaware of the commitment of the State government to raise the bar of quality health delivery in the State. This is why we are gratified that, even as government is improving health facilities across the 23 local government areas of the State, it has taken proactive steps to sensitize the citizenry on the emergency, which CSM represents.
The Tide commends the State Ministry of Information and Communications for the on-going sensitisation of the people and urges Non-Governmental Organisations, community-based organisations and all stakeholders in the health sector to key into the on-going efforts of the State government to keep CSM out of the State.
Even as we are confident of the state of readiness of our tertiary health institutions to expertly handle any possible outbreak of CSM in the State, we call on the citizenry to maintain healthy sanitary habits.
It has, however, become imperative for the Federal Government to budget, at least, two years ahead and improve its planning and preventive measures in order to put an end to the yearly recurring inadequacy of vaccines needed to tackle this dangerous disease.
Furthermore, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) must clear the cloud of corruption and distrust which, in the last three years, has been associated with its operations and has been a source of worry to donor agencies.
We are worried that the confidence of donor agencies in Nigeria’s health finance can be swayed by a high gamut of corruption and misappropriation in the nation’s health sector.
Already, Nigeria’s 2017 budget proposes refunds of misappropriated funds to two donor agencies, including N4.8 billion to Global Fund and N1.6 billion to Global Alliance for Vaccines.
If the current trend of misappropriation and lack of attention to preventive health persists, Nigeria will be in serious danger when Global Alliance for Vaccines withdraws its support from Nigeria by 2020.