12th May, 2017
The Enugu State Government has launched radio and television jingles to sensitise residents of the state on prevention of Cerebro Spinal Meningitis (CSM) and Lassa fever.
The state Director of Public Health, Dr Okechukwu Ossai, said in Enugu on Friday that the jingles are currently running on the state-owned radio and television stations – Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS).
Ossai said that the state government was making arrangement to extend the jingles to health-friendly media organisations operating in the state.
“We are leaving no stone unturned, as we have engaged our people through radio and television jingles.
“The current and running jingles, which I am sure is penetrating the residents of the state, stresses the need for personal and family hygiene.
“It also stresses the need for homes to have adequate ventilation especially the vital cross ventilation between windows.
“As well, the need for our people to sleeping under insecticide treated nets to open their windows for air to enter into their rooms.
“For them not to engage in self-medication but go to hospital or seek the services of a medical expert for illnesses,’’ he said.
He said that the state ministry of health had adopted proactive measures through increased surveillance by placing diseases surveillance officers and offices in the 17 local government areas of the state on red alert.
According to him, the ministry has deployed 86 disease-surveillance-focal persons to the 17 council areas to boost disease surveillance and rapid report to government.
Ossai, who also doubles as the state’s Chief Disease Surveillance Officer, said that the ministry is currently partnering with the Nigerian Medical Association on the need for its members to report any strange illness or suspected case of CSM or Lassa fever.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency recently said the country needed about 1.1 billion dollars for the vaccination of 22 million people in the states affected by the type “C’’ meningitis.
The agency, which had started CSM immunisation in the five most affected states in the country, said that each type `C’ CSM vaccine cost between 30 dollars and $50 dollars, adding that the vaccine is expensive and scarce.