In the ongoing endeavor to curb the transmission of Lassa fever nationwide, the Federal Ministry of Environment has initiated the National Deratization Framework program.
Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Environment, emphasized the significance of this initiative, highlighting the pivotal role of the environmental sector in rendering the environment inhospitable for disease vectors and ensuring public safety.
Similarly, the registrar, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr. Yakubu Baba Muhammad, reiterated that the minister’s directives on all the facilities whether public or private should undergo derating exercise, after which they will be issued Derating Exemption Certificate by EHCON.
Dr. Yakubu disclosed that the ministry has directed the council to embark on massive capacity building to update the knowledge of the practitioners on the new innovations, new approaches to control and address the disease.
He added that component of health education, promotion and creation of awareness in the communities also plays an important role.
“At the community level, the issue of waste management cannot be over emphasized. At this time and period, remnant food should not be exposed while our food stuff and stores should be rats proof. In the character of rats once there is no food, rats vacates the house,” he added .
He further emphasised that another approach to combat the spread of this disease is by getting to the grassroot, its a collective responsibility as government is doing their job, citizens should do their parts.
He also said farmers using roads for drying farm products should be discouraged from doing so because this gives rats to come and urinate, defecate; passing feaces that contains the virus that causes disease and contamination of the food.
Dr. Yakubu warned that our communities should reduce or stop taking bush meat, saying is not healthy for now because the virus has residual effect even after the death of the animal.