HERFON HEALTH BLOG

LASSA FEVER HAS NO VACCINE (Lassa Fever Advisory) Lassa fever is a viral infection caused by the Lassa fever virus. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans via contact with excreta from rats. The disease occurs throughout the year, but more cases are recorded during the dry season. Lassa fever is spread through: • Direct contact with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of infected rats. • Eating food or drinking water contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of rats. • Person-to-person through contact with blood, urine, saliva, throat secretion or semen of an infected person. • Touching of floors, beddings and household materials contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of rats or an infected person. • Inhalation of air contaminated with urine, faeces, saliva or blood of rats or an infected person. Prevention and Control Presently, there is no vaccine against Lassa fever. To reduce the spread of Lassa fever in the country, the Nigeri...

Nigeria’s parliament has said it will commit adequate budgetary allocations to pay for vaccines and effective immunization. This is as the country gets closer to losing support from the Global Alliance for Vaccine Initiative, which has helped fund immunisation in years past. It comes as lawmakers go on two days of retreat to consider strategies for immunisation and strengthening primary health care. Muhammad Usman, deputy chair of the House of Representatives committee on health, said both the House and the Senate are concluding effective legislations to guarantee adequate funds for vaccine procurement, immunisation services and PHC in general, beginning from 2018 financial year. GAVI has supported immunisation in Nigeria for years, but Nigeria is close to losing support for immunisation after a rebasing of its economy pulled the country out of the league of low-income countries. A rollback of funding has begun and Nigeria is expected to take total control for fundin...

We are committed to adequate budgetary allocation for immunisation, says NASS The National Assembly has assured Nigerians and members of the international community of its commitment to ensure adequate budgetary allocation and release for procurement of vaccines and effective immunization of Nigerian children. The Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Health Hon. Muhammad Usman disclosed this at a 2-day retreat on Nigeria Strategy for Immunization and Primary healthcare (PHC) Strengthening. According to Muhammad, the House of Representative and the Senate are concluding effective legislations to guarantee adequate funds for vaccine procurement, immunisation services and PHC in general, beginning from the 2018 financial year. The lawmaker assured the donors and development partners of the personal commitment of both the Senate President, Bukola Salaki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to ensuring budgetary allocation and timely release o...

Antenatal care is one of the measures to help curb the global menace of maternal health problems. They exist in most primary healthcare facilities. But lack of money has made this otherwise readily available service, inaccessible for displaced persons in the Federal Capital Territory. They say the almost 100 percent difference in cost for accessing the care in the FCT as against what they paid for it back home before Boko Haram attacks, has made it a luxury they can do without Pulwa Achaba, 23, is five months pregnant with her fourth child. She fled Kuda, Adamawa State in 2016 after it was sacked by Boko Haram. She now lives in Gongola, a camp where internally displaced persons reside in Abuja. For her previous pregnancies, Achaba said she diligently went for antenatal sessions at the Cottage Hospital Gulak, Adamawa State, where it cost a maximum of N200 to register and transportation was N50 at the most. Although she was registered to receive free treatment at the Asokoro Gen...