The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have intensified their collaboration to address the increasing cases of Lassa fever in the country.
The focus is particularly on safeguarding healthcare workers and enhancing clinical vigilance within health facilities.
This initiative was outlined in a statement released by NCDC on Monday, which detailed the discussions held during a strategic engagement between the leadership of both organizations in Abuja.
The meeting, convened by NCDC’s Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, aimed to address the current epidemiological situation, the heightened risks faced by frontline health workers, and the vital role that doctors play in early detection and infection prevention.
During the engagement, leaders from NCDC and NMA jointly issued and signed a national advisory directed at doctors and healthcare professionals across Nigeria. This advisory is intended to bolster vigilance during the ongoing Lassa fever transmission season.
The advisory calls on doctors and healthcare workers to:
“Maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever in patients presenting with febrile illness.
“Ensure early detection, prompt isolation, and immediate reporting of suspected cases.
“Strictly adhere to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures
“Promote responsible antimicrobial use in clinical practice”.
The engagement also highlighted NCDC’s 30-day national IPC action plan aimed at reducing infections among healthcare workers and strengthening infection prevention practices in health facilities, particularly in high-burden areas.
Both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to working together to strengthen Nigeria’s outbreak response, protect healthcare workers, and improve health security across the country
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