Meningitis: Atiku expresses concern over death toll, condoles with families

FORMER Vice President and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar on Thursday expressed concern on the high death toll so far recorded this year following the outbreak of cerebra spinal meningitis (CSM) and called for concerted efforts to forestall further spread of the disease and attendant deaths.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja yesterday by his Media Office, Atiku described as worrisome the death toll, which currently stood at 366.
According to the former Vice President “I understand that the heat–induced illness, which causes the swelling of the outer part of the brain has also affected 2,996 cases in 16 states and 54 local government areas, and for me it implies a lot of effort is required to stop these deaths.”
He then pleaded with the international community, including donor agencies to come to Nigeria’s aid on the grounds that “it is an emergency situation.”
Atiku also appealed to the relevant agencies of government to take precautionary measures since meningitis is “an annual ritual” by making sure that preventive measures are in place in states that are prone to the health challenge.
He equally canvassed for “serious inter-agency collaboration” involving the Ministries of Health, Housing, Environment, Information as well as metrological agency, Nigeria Primary Health Care Development Agency and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control that would lead to the development of a “comprehensive preventive and treatment master plan” that would ensure that the carnage recorded in 2017 is avoided in subsequent years.”
He advocated for sustained research on the ailment to identify new strains of the microorganism that caused the disease in order to avoid the new challenges being experienced in treating victims of the outbreak of meningitis this year.
Atiku solicited for appropriate budgetary allocations by Local, State and Federal governments, to ensure the availability of funds for the early procurement of vaccines and other items needed for quick medical response when there is an outbreak.
According to him, “a preventive package must include a robust enlightenment and educative programme on the disease, how it should be avoided, signs of contracting it as well as what to do when there is an outbreak so that respective individuals and families would become part of efforts to “kick meningitis out of Nigeria” in the same concerted way the polio disease was dealt with in the country.
The APC stalwart advised that traditional rulers and religious leaders should be part of the campaign since they were closer to the people, especially, in the rural areas.
Atiku prayed for the repose of the souls of those who died from the outbreak of the disease and the quick recovery of those receiving treatment and well prayed that God give the bereaved families the fortitude to bear the loss of their loved ones.





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