Nigeria recently experienced a resurgence Lassa fever with many Nigerians wondering what was not done right during the initial out-breaks to ensure there is no resurgence of the pandemic. Blueprint spoke to some Nigerians on how government is combating the disease. Excerpts:
Victor John For me I don’t think it is about government because Lassa fever has to do with personal and environmental hygiene. You cannot be 100 per cent sure about how clean and protected your environment is. So, for me, even before Lassa fever came, I have been using this transparent plastic buckets to protect my foods from pest and rats. I also use camphor, pesticides and rat poison.
Th ey help me to protect my home from pests. So, for me, it is already a routine to ensure that I am protected because life has no duplicate. I also watch my utensils before use and try to make my children and everybody around me understand why they should always keep the environment clean and observe personal hygiene.
Terungwa Abari Th e approach of Nigeria government at all levels to the control of the disease over the years has always been reactionary. We don’t need to wait for persons to be infected by the virus before raising the alarm or try to prevent it. What is needed to help curtail Lassa fever is a multi-pronged approach that focuses on the control of the rodent host of the virus using integrated Vector Management (IVM), which is an integral part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM), process.
Proactive and eff ective rodent control programs in diff erent geographical areas with emphasis on the key focal areas must be implemented for a holistic containment of the Lassa fever epidemic. Simon Isah I don’t really know much about what government is doing to combat Lassa fever, however, I am doing my own part. I use common rat killers that the sell in the market and on the streets to control rodents. We see it being carried around by some young men in my area. Personally, I do not like to see rats in my house, so I buy the rat killer always.
It is now expensive though because what we used to buy for N100 now goes for Simon Victor Peter N200. However, I think money should not be the problem but how to prevent people from contacting the virus. I now avoid some things I used to do before like drinking Ijebu garri. So those of us who are into the garri drinking habit have to quit for now till the time is right, except you are sure of the source. But for me, I will wait for Lassa to go before I continue. Esere David We used to think the virus had been eradicated but since it has returned we need to be on our guards. So, anybody who is not mad will know that caution needs to be taken especially with regards to what we eat. It is said that “what is within the body kills faster than what is without.” Th ose of us who live in suburbs often have ‘small visitors’ in our houses and if you allow them to remain, they feed on your meals and drop the poisons on the food. I have done my own clean up and killed all the rats in my house with rat ‘killer.’ Kabiru Usman I agree government has a major role to play in stopping Lassa fever but I think every Nigerian also has a role to play. Before now if I close for the day and pack my unsold bread, rats would sometimes eat them and give me shortage. So, to avoid the shortage I usually cut off the aff ected parts of the bread and sell to my customers. Although nothing has happened to any of them because I want to keep my customers, I now clean up the place and have bought containers to protect the food items especially bread. So, what I do is to ensure I sustain what I have already achieved. I have to be more cautious not to make mistakes that can be deadly. Peter Ameh It is a serious matter especially with the way dirt is piling up all over the place because even if you clean your house the rats can enter your own house or compound from the streets and nearby streets. In my area, we have taken precautionary measures by inviting environmental health offi cers to do the needful because we also partake in the consumption of the edibles we produce. Pest control experts certifi ed by the appropriate authorities were here about a month ago to rate this garden and put in place the required safety measures to forestall any re-emergence of pests and rodents. Also, our staff ers have been trained on personal hygiene and how to handle items to prevent the spread. I assure you we are not relenting. We urge other eateries and entertainment centres that have not done de-rat to do so immediately.
