Lagos begins mass vaccination against schistosomiasis

Lagos State Government will today begin mass administration of medicines for the control of schistosomiasis ravaging seven councils of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, who disclosed this at the weekend, listed Ikeja, Ifako-Ijaiye, Amuwo-Odofin, Oshodi-Isolo, Agege, Lagos Mainland and Alimosho as the affected councils.

Health workers will go round schools, homes and other important places to administer treatment on children between ages five and 14 from today till Sunday, December 8, he noted.

Schistosomiasis, also known as snail fever and bilharzia, is a disease caused by parasitic flatworms called schistosomes. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bloody stool, or blood in the urine.

Abayomi emphasised that parents and guardians should ensure that their children and wards ate well before taking the drugs.

He noted that the administration of medicines for control of the disease during the week-long campaign would be carried out by the state government in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Mission to Save the Helpless (MITOSATH).

In another vein, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has disclosed that the state government will demolish structures blocking the right of way along the Lekki corridor.

Speaking during an inspection of Harris Drive, Victoria Garden City and Ikate Elegushi estates in Lekki at the weekend, he noted, “What I have seen here is a high level of irresponsibility. All the people have shown that they have no regard for our urban master plan, and the government will not condone it; the government will not sit back and let people take undue advantage of the government.

“The lagoon is less than 300 metres away and people are saying there is a flood in Lekki. The residents that built their houses on the right of way are the ones causing the flood. Water does not just come.

“We are going to instruct the Ministry of Physical Planning to check if they have planning approval; the ones that do not have would be demolished. But we want to engage, we need to ask them what alternatives they are going to give us. If people that are supposed to be civilised will come and develop on government right of way, it speaks to the soul of every body.

Meanwhile, the governor has urged the Senate to activate a legislative instrument that would lead to the recognition of a Special Status for Lagos, as the best honour for people that had governed the state, including the late Johnson.

He stated this when some senators paid condolence visit to the family of the first military administrator of Lagos, Brig. Mobolaji Johnson (rtd.), who died on Saturday, October 30.

Sanwo-Olu said the late Johnson had a great vision for Lagos as the first Nigerian to govern the state, emphasising that his dreams would be fully realised if the Federal Government created a “Special Status” for the state.

This, the governor added, would enable the state to adequately address its challenges as the nation’s former capital city and commercial nerve-centre.