BY VICTORIA OJEME
ABUJA — The Federal Government has inaugurated Lassa fever Rapid Response Committee to prevent and control further outbreak of the disease, which has infected 12 and killed about 40 people.

The committee, which was inaugurated by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, is to be chaired by Prof. Sunday Aremu Omilabu of  Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Lassa fever has affected 12 states, with resultant morbidity and mortality, as 397 cases had been recorded in Borno, Gombe, Yobe, Taraba, Plateau, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Edo, Ondo, Rivers, Anambra and Lagos states.

Pate said the aim of the committee was to coordinate federal, state governments as well as development partners’ response in controlling further spread of the disease.

He said Federal Government was concerned about the danger of Lassa fever in Nigeria, pointing out that the government had set up National Lassa Fever Stakeholders’ forum in 2007 to advocate for action against the disease.

“Government would continued to support the treatment of all reported Lassa fever cases with prompt preposition of ribaviring drugs and personal protective equipment. This year (2012) 500,000 vials of the ribavirin drugs were procured and distributed to the affected states.

“It is our resolve to do everything possible not only to control Lassa fever epidemic but to put in place mechanism for it effective prevention. It is in the light of this National Lassa Fever Rapid Response Committee is being inaugurated.”

The committee will provide technical expertise to avoid further outbreak, and it will also come up with standard treatment protocol and guidelines for management of Lassa fever, develop standard operating procedures on infection control in hospitals and mobilise resources for prevention and control of the disease.

The committee will also coordinate intervention activities on prevention and control of the disease.

“It is expected that this committee will come up with a sustainable framework for combating the scourge of Lassa fever to prevent lost of lives of general public and those of the health workers,” the Minister added.

In his speech, chairman of the committee, Prof. Sunday Aremu Omilabu, called on the Federal Ministry of Health not to relent in providing all necessary support for the committee to deliver on its mandate..

The Committee which has 23 members with representatives from Government Agencies and Development Partners has Dr. Henry Akpan from the Federal Ministry of Health as Secretary.