Naija no dey carry last when matter serious! Lassa fever still dey cause wahala for our people o, despite all the gists wey don fly since dem declare am emergency seven years ago. Haba, wetin dey happen? Public health experts don call am out, say late hospital presentation and poor healthcare facilities na major wahala wey dey contribute to the deaths wey we dey see.
Dem talk say Lassa fever na serious sickness wey dey come from contact with rats wey get the virus. This virus dey hide for faeces, urine, and saliva of Mastomys rats, and those rats dey everywhere, especially for dirty place. Na why we dey urgently need proper sanitation and better food storage to curb the spread.
Since 2019 wey dem declare Lassa fever emergency, na so wahala dey increase for ground. Between January and December 2025, 1,148 confirmed cases with 215 deaths don show face across 22 states. E don clear say Nigerians no dey present for hospital on time, and this one dey lead to high fatality rate.
According to Prof Tanimola Akande, one well-respected public health physician, most people dey come hospital when dem don almost reach grave. Him talk say, “We only get one drug wey fit treat Lassa fever, and e dey work well if person present early. If you delay, your chance to survive dey low.” Wetin be the solution? Proper sanitation and better medical facilities go help us fight this sickness.
The truth be say, poor housing and sanitation dey give these rats opportunity to thrive. Wetin we go do? We go fit store food well and live clean, so the rats no go fit waka enter our food! Experts don dey advise say make people dey more aware of the symptoms, which include fever, weakness, and even bleeding from body when the matter don turn serious.
For those wey dey house wey join wahala, e good make we dey keep eye on wetin dey happen around us. Better surveillance for community level go help us catch this sickness early, and better facilities fit save more lives.
Prof Adebayo Onajole also yan true about the link between health system and how we dey respond to sickness. Him talk say, “If the health system no dey accessible, na so people go present late. And dis one dey cause problem.” Good planning and preparedness go reduce the wahala wey dey follow disease outbreaks.
As we dey push for Lassa fever vaccine wey dey trial stage, na high time we start to dey talk about prevention. Make we no just dey wait for drug or hospitals alone. We fit take the battle back home by keeping our surroundings clean, dey manage food better, and dey educate ourselves and our communities. Na so we go fit reduce this burden wey don dey carry us for long.
Nigeria dey work on new surveillance system and emergency response to health threats, wey go help us manage these risks better. If we fit succeed for this level, we go fit save our brothers and sisters from this deadly fever wey don hang for neck since. No be only treatment, prevention dey important too, because e go save life and also reduce the economic impact of the outbreak.
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