77 real, 405 suspected cases of Lassa fever recorded in 2018

• UCH seeks N5b to complete cancer centre
• Cross River records first death from disease
No fewer than 77 real and 405 suspected cases of Lassa fever have been recorded in different states of the country this year.

Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed this at the emergency National Council on Health (NCH) meeting in Abuja yesterday.

He revealed that there have been seven cases in Ebonyi, which were due to surgical operation, adding that Edo and Ondo states have the worst cases of the disease.

He stressed the need for all stakeholders in the health sector to adopt a contextual multi-sector approach in sharing data on disease outbreak in the country.

Adewole also called on the states to create operational centres for public health intervention, not only for Lassa fever outbreak, but also for other health-related issues.

He further stressed on the need to engage in preventive measures of eradicating Lassa fever outbreak than having emergency outbreak.

Also, the Federal Government is working with development partners to curb Yellow fever in the country by giving out 25 million doses of vaccine in seven years.

Meanwhile, Cross River State has recorded its first death from a suspected case of Lassa fever since the outbreak of the disease in parts of the country last year.

A pregnant woman who was brought in from Taraba State died at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) from the suspected

The State Commissioner for Health, Inyang Asibong, confirmed the incident on the telephone.

In a related development, the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has said it needs N5 billion to complete its ultra modern cancer centre, which construction started last year during the 60th anniversary of the teaching hospital.

It pleaded with Nigerians to assist it in acquiring a N251 million Brachytherapy Machine for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

With this machine, most breast cancer patients would not lose their breasts while men who undergo surgery for prostrate cancer would still remain sexually active.

Speaking at a press conference to commemorate the World Cancer Day, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, Prof. Temitope Alonge, lamented that about 70 per cent of cancer patients seek medical attention only after the disease might have gone awry.

Alonge also announced that the hospital would provide free breast cancer screening for all the female members of staff of the UCH and members of the National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in Oyo State.