Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government, on Friday, confirmed the outbreak of Yellow fever disease in eight local government areas with 36 suspected cases.
Commissioner for Health in the state, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambasa, who confirmed this during the press briefing held in his office, said over 500 health personnel would be drafted to the affected areas for vaccinations of people between age of nine months and 45 years irrespective of their vaccinator’s status to curb spreading of the diseases to other local government areas.
“So far, 879 suspected cases have been reported from 21 states of the Federation. Kebbi State has also reported 36 cases of Yellow fever from 8 Local Government namely: Bagudo, Fakai, Koko/Base, Maiyama, Ngaski, Shanga, Suru and Yauri.
“To counter the spread of the disease and prevent risk of epidemics in the 8 LGAs and the state,a yellow fever reactive vaccinator campaign has been schedule in the 8 LGAS”.
Kamba who said that there was no record of death, disclosed that international developing partners like WHO, UNICEF and others, would participated in the vaccination exercise in all the 85 political wards in the affected areas.
The exercise, he said, would begin on March 10, 2018 and end on March 19.
“Kebbi State is expected to vaccinate about one million, six hundred thousands individual within the disease target age group of 9 months to 45 years in the 8 LGAs”.
He urged all the stakeholders in the state to mobilise the people of the affected areas for the exercise.