FEDERAL MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COUNCIL OF NIGERIA TRAINS ONDO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH WORKERS ON LASSA FEVER REDUCTION

The Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr Niran Ikuomola was at the training organized by the Federal Ministry of Environment, and Environmental Health Council of Nigeria for Environmental Health Officers in the Five (5) Lassa Fever endemic Local Government Areas in the State.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ondo State Ministry of Health, Dr Adeniran Ikuomola appreciated the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria for the intervention at fighting the scourge of the disease in the State.
He explained that the State Government had activated the Emergency Operation Centre for Lassa Fever and other epidemic prone diseases in the State since last year mainly to reduce the incidence in the State while also appreciating the Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for the support and determination to end the disease in our communities.

He further stated that the State has continued to collaborate with different Government Agencies and Partners to reduce the mortality rate of the disease and the action has continued to yield fruitful results as the cases and mortality rate has reduced drastically as against the last season.

He enjoined the participants to pay attention to the training as to be able to bring to bear their knowledge in the deratization exercise in their different Local Government.
He urged them to step down the training appropriately to the environmental health officers not privileged to attend the training and also mobilize the communities to take ownership of the deratization programme.
He averred that the training outcome would bring down the prevalence of Lassa Fever and also bring down the mortality rate associated with the disease.

The Deputy Registrar, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria, Dr. Isah Adamu noted that the Federal Ministry of Environment selected Six (6) States in all the geopolitical zones and Ondo State was selected for the south west for this intervention.

He emphasized that the roles of the Environmental Health Officers is indispensable in the fight against Lassa Fever in the households and communities while also reiterating that Lassa Fever is native to Nigeria.
In his words "Lassa Fever, a viral haemorrhagic fever transmitted by the Mastomys Natalensis rat specie, originated from Nigeria in 1960s and some States in the country have continued to suffer from it and Ondo State happens to be one of the States."
"The main precursor of this disease is poor environmental sanitation, poor personal hygiene and poor attitude in terms of poor preservation of food and these factors have made Lassa Fever very prevalent in our communities. As a pillar in ONE HEALTH, environmental health interventions are core in the control of Lassa Fever."