NO less than 10 deaths has been reported out of 177 suspected cases of cerebrospinal meningitis recorded in the Degubi community in the Nangere Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Meningitis, an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes encasing the brain and spinal cord is a fatal illness and a significant public health issue.
Dr. Muhammad Lawan Gana, the state’s commissioner for health while leading a team from the state government confirmed the outbreak and expressed concern for the victims in the town . He added that the state government was working assiduously to offer an effective response to the outbreak.
He added that the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and other international partners had worked with the state administration to take appropriate steps to control the disease’s spread.
He noted that the state administration was doing everything it could to combat the pandemic in addition to organizing a sizable immunization program in the affected community.
“The number of deaths as a result of this disaster is too much and it’s disturbing that is why we come here to sympathise with you and also to ensure that (Governor) Buni’s administration is committed to end this disaster.
“As I am talking to you, His Excellency Gov Buni who was in the Saudi Arabia to perform Umra, has given us an authoritative order and support to do everything possible so as to put this under control, in addition to the commitment of local government council which provides drugs and other things in the first place” he said.
The commissioner, who described the disease as new meningitis variant, revealed that the state had never witnessed such variant, adding that new vaccines had been ordered to curtail the disaster immediately.
Responding, the village head of Degubi community, Alhaji Isyaka Sarki, expressed worries over the deaths rate in the town as a result of the disease, saying the hospital is too congested with patients and battling with electricity supply.
