Lassa Fever: FCTA ups awareness campaign in markets, parks

By Stanley Onyekwere

As part of precautionary measures against Lassa Fever disease, the FCT Administration has upped its sensitisation of residents, by taking the awareness campaign to motorists, traders, students in Markets, parks and educational facilities across the Territory.
Accordingly, officials of the Public Health Department of the FCTA Health and Human Services Secretariat, over the weekend educated residents in the Territory on measures to curb the outbreak and spread of the disease in the nation’s capital.
Speaking during the exercise at Garki Model Market, Education Officer,
Mrs Hanatu Bitrus, of the Health Promotion and Educational Unit, FCT Public Health Department, noted that although there was no confirmed case of Lassa Fever in FCT, the department would not relent to put necessary preventive measures in place within the Territory.
Bitrus, who represented the
of the Head of the Unit, Hajia Hauwa Suleiman, urged the residents to avoid contact with rats, maintain environmental hygiene and cover all foods and water properly.
She also cautioned the residents against exposing food and of other consumables where rats could have access to it.
According to her, “ “We started since last week. Today we are here in Garki Model Market to sensitize the residents of FCT on how to prevent Lassa Fever from coming into the Territory.
“We use English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and Gwari languages in the sensitization to ensure that language doesn’t serve as a barrier.”
The FCTA official enjoined women to wash cooking pot properly before and after use and block all rats hideouts as well as discard any food eaten by rats.
On her part, Manager, Garki Model Market, Mrs JamimaAbulele , said the leadership of the market had taken proactive step to safeguard traders and customers against the disease.
Abulele said the management of the market was always proactive as it fumigate the market bi-annually in line with the international best practice.
” On hearing the outbreak of Lassa Fever in some FCT neighbouring states, we quickly embarked on sensitisation for the traders and sent circulars to all shops, traders and everybody visiting the market.
” We have done our normal fumigation of the market but because of outbreak of Lassa Fever we are going to fumigate the market to make sure the environment is safe.”
She however commended the FCT administration for its efforts at educating the FCT residents on how to protect themselves from contracting the disease.
Abulele therefore pledged total support of the management of the market to the ongoing sensitisation campaign.