Lassa Fever: Edo Govt seek International Agencies Intervention as FG refused to help

The Edo State Government has called on international organisations to come to the rescue of the state over the outbreak of Lassa Fever, saying the Federal Government has abandoned the state despite multiple pleas for help.

The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, who stated this on Wednesday decried the neglect by the Federal Government on the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever prevalent in about three local government areas and has therefore appealed to international donor agencies and groups to come to its aid.

He said, “Every effort has been made by the state administration to contain the Lassa Fever epidemic. Although we have contacted the federal government, it appears that they have given up on the Edo State administration and its citizens in this matter. As of the now, Edo has more than 50 cases of this disease, and even when compared to COVID-19, our case fertility rate of 5% is quite high.

“All appeals and supplications to the Federal Government on this difficult matter seem to have fallen on deaf ears, which is especially discouraging given that the current Health Minister is a native of Edo State.

We are forced to contact international intervention organizations like the WHO, UNICEF, and any other international organizations that are mandated to intervene in infectious disease epidemics after hitting a brick wall.

“As a government, we have addressed many letters to the Centers for Disease Control, the Ministry of Health, and all other relevant parties urging them to step in and assist the state in combating this outbreak, but regrettably, they have turned their backs on us.

“We urge the international authorities to step in as soon as possible to stop the situation from getting worse. We appreciate the efforts being made by some of these organizations, and we have been in touch with them,” he added.