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The management of the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, ISTH, in Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State has disclosed that 21 people have been recorded to have died from Lassa fever between 2023 and March 2024 in the state. Dr Joseph Okoeguale, Director of Viral and Emergent Pathogens, Control and Research of the hospital said no fewer than 240 positive cases were recorded in the period under review. He added that 37.7 million people in 14 West African countries are at risk of Lassa fever infection annually with over 5000 deaths. Okoeguale stated this while delivering a lecture titled, “University Community Collaboration in Lassa Fever Research: Advancing Diagnostic Capacity and Vaccine Development in Nigeria” at the College of Medical Science Lecture Series organized by the Edo State University, Uzairue.

The National Executive Council of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN) has issued a 21-day notice of strike to relevant stakeholders to resolve their demands. This was disclosed at the end of MDCAN’s extraordinary virtual National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, signed by its President, Prof. Aminu Mohammad, and Secretary, Prof. Daiyabu Ibrahim. The statement directed its members to take lawful steps, not limited to withdrawal of services, but also legal options where advertisements for the position of Vice Chancellor are discriminatory and disenfranchise Medical and Dental Lecturers.

The House of Representatives has directed 11 airline operators to refund the sum of N3,451,076,527 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) within 21 days. The resolution was contained in the report of the House Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Honourable Bamidele Salam on the ‘alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds to MDAs of government from 2020 to 2022’ passed by the House on Thursday, October 10, 2024. From the report submitted to the Committee by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (oAuGF), the operators were part of the 92 beneficiary institutions that got allocations from the total sum of N1,323,754,296,732.77 COVID-19 intervention funds.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) recorded a rise in Lassa fever cases in week 39 of 2024, with Ondo and Edo states reporting nine new confirmed cases. The NCDC stated this on its official website, based on latest Lassa Fever Situation Report. The agency said that this marked an increase from four cases reported in previous week, raising the total number of infection and deaths in the year to alarming levels.
The NCDC revealed that “the country is witnessing a surge in Lassa fever cases, with the total number of infections in 2024 rising to 1,018 across 28 states.

The Federal government has announced the commencement of zero Value Added Tax (VAT) on pharmaceutical products and medical devices to reduce drug prices in the country. This was contained in a statement signed by the Head of Information in the Federal Ministry of Health, Alaba. R. Balogun reveals that the Executive Order on harmonized implementation framework has been cleared to be gazetted.

Over 10 persons have died in fresh outbreak of cholera in Ebonyi State. The deaths were recorded in Ndibokote village in Ezza-Inyimagu, Agbaja Autonomous Community, Izzi local government area. Commissioner for Health Moses Ekuma made this disclosure on Thursday. Ekuma also revealed that over 20 other persons from the area have been hospitalised for suspected cholera infection. He said infected persons were rushed to three hospitals in the area by the State Government in collaboration with the Local Government and health partners. The hospitals include: Sudan United Mission Hospital, Onuenyim Agbaja; Sudan United Mission Hospital Izziogo and Izziogo Health Centre.