- The Director General further explained that harsh weather conditions like the dry season that brings dust, winds, cold nights, and frequent upper respiratory tract infections, increase the risk of infection
The Federal Government has disclosed that some seven hundred and sixty-two (762) Nigerians have lost their lives to Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) and Lassa fever across the country.
The deaths were recorded between 2023 and 2024, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
Dr Jide Idris, the agency’s Director General, made the disclosure in Abuja while giving an update on the Lassa fever and meningitis outbreaks in the country.
According to ldris, 361 meningitis-related deaths occurred across 174 local government areas in 23 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while Lassa fever accounted for 401 fatalities in 28 states, adding that Nigeria saw 4,915 suspected meningitis cases, with 380 confirmed cases during the same period.
The Director General further explained that harsh weather conditions like the dry season that brings dust, winds, cold nights, and frequent upper respiratory tract infections, increase the risk of infection, especially with crowding and poor ventilation.
The highest burden of CSM in Nigeria, according to him, occurs in the “Meningitis Belt” which includes all 19 states in the northern region, the FCT, and some southern states such as Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, and Osun, stressing that a total of 2, 281, 750 doses of meningitis vaccines (Men5CV- ACWYX) have been administered in Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa and covering 134 wards in the 13 LGAs.
He said the campaign targeted individuals aged 1-29 years, comprising 70% of the population, while Nigeria recorded a total of 3,372 Lassa fever cases between 2022 and 2024, as well as a total of 401 deaths from the disease between 2023 and 2024