DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS LENDS SUPPORT TO THE FIGHT AGAINST LASA FEVER
An International H
umanitarian Organisation, known as Doctors without Borders is to collaborate with Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki to embark on operational research for the eradication of Lassa fever virus in Ebonyi State in the next four years.
The Country Director of the organization, Dr. Maikere Jacob stated this when he led a team from its Headquarters from Geneva Switzerland to inspect facilities at the South East Virology Centre Abakaliki.
This was the second time Doctors without Borders was visiting the State to support the fight against Lassa fever scourge.
Since 2005 when the first case of lassa fever was detected in Ebonyi State, the virus had claimed the lives of at least forty health workers and that of unspecified number of other residents of the State.
Although the construction of Virology Centre by Ebonyi State Government had helped to stem the tide of frequent outbreaks of the virus, stakeholders in the health sector appeared not to be relenting.
The Country Director Doctors Without Borders, Dr. Maikere Jacob explained that the team would collaborate with Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki and the State Ministry of Health to coordinate research into new transmission mode of the virus and ensure that no further outbreaks were recorded in the State.
“We said Lassa fever is not known completely, we need to work in the domain of operational research to understand the disease and to ensure it is treated correctly and to make sure that health workers were not infected”.
The Operational Coordinator of the Organisation, Mr Mario Stephan explained that their visit was to step up cooperation with the Government towards improving the capacity to respond to lassa fever outbreaks and other epidemics.
“we believe that the current cooperation between Doctors without Borders and the health authorities of the State is a positive example of how constructive cooperation can actually be built out of international humanitarian organisation and local authorities for the benefit of the population”.
The Chief Medical Director, Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Dr Emeka Ogar described as innovative, the support of the organization noting that aggressive sensitization involving the Doctors had reduced incidences of late presentation.
“we still have some pockets of late presentation, we thank God for what is going on, since we started our own diagnosis the difference is clear”
The team was later conducted round the Virology centre as well as emergency rooms being constructed by the Organisation at FETHA One and Two of the Hospital.
AMECHI ODO
