LASSA FEVER

More than one thousand one hundred and twenty one cases of the disease have so far been recorded in 18 states with over one hundred and ten fatalities.

Nigeria Centre for Disease Control made this known yesterday on the sidelines of reports of the prohibitive cost of treating Lassa fever which is said to be engendering the spread and fatality of the disease in the country.

But despite the high cost in the treatment of the disease the federal and state governments say they are providing free diagnosis, treatment and care for all Lassa fever patients in affected states of the federation.

Investigation shows that it costs at least five hundred thousand naira to treat a patient of Lassa fever with the drug-of-choice.

Chief Executive Officer of NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, told newsmen yesterday that though the cost of treating Lassa fever cases in Nigeria was rather on the high side, the Federal Government has ensured that Ribavirin has been provided free-of-charge to patients, for every single case of Lassa fever reported in Nigeria in 2018.

Dr. Ihekweazu maintained that no single patient has been deprived of care in any of the treatment centres in Nigeria because of their inability to pay.

In addition to this, the NCDC has ensured that every state in Nigeria has an emergency stock of Ribavirin and other response commodities available to manage cases.

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