BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGRI
The Borno state commissioner for Health, Dr. Haruna Mshelia has said that 39 confirmed cases of Hapatitus E virus were recorded and contained in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), camps of three local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner, who disclosed this recently, said the Hepatitis E virus, was brought into the camp by refugees who returned from a neighboring country, adding that if not for the proactive response, the virus could have spread beyond three local government areas of Borno.
He explained that a total of 457 suspected cases were reported out of which only 39 cases were confirmed through laboratory tests with no Hepatitis E related death so far recorded, stressing that the disease has been brought under control.
The Commissioner said his Ministry was quick to silently set up a Rapid Response Team in June which went to work as a result of which the disease didn’t go beyond three out of the 27 local government areas of the State.
He said the Ministry decided not to give media coverage to steps being taken in order not to cause panic and not to make people assume that all the fleeing victims of the Boko Haram insurgency were infected and stigmatize victims who were already traumatized.
Dr Mshelia stated that ten cases of Hepatitis E were first reported from Damasak headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area in June, 2017, following the return of some residents who had fled to a neighboring country, saying “We don’t want to mention the country so we don’t drag Borno and Nigeria into a diplomatic row with a country that helped in accommodating our citizens at a time of distress.”
He also said that some refugees from Ngala and Monguno local government areas which also took refuge in the particular country also had suspected Hepatitis E infection out of which some were confirmed after laboratory tests with others still pending.
Dr. Mshelia said “on receiving the report, the State Rapid Response Team ( RRT) meeting was held on 15th June chaired by myself. The team was deployed immediately to Damasak on 16/6/17 with the following activities: Distribution of aqua tabs with clear instructions on how to use. Assessment/Inspection of water sources/ quality and use of rapid water test kits to determine level of contamination; Distribution of Standard definition and treatment protocols to all clinicians and health workers; Strengthening of Surveillance for active cases and screening at borders Damasak/Niger; Reviewing of clinic register and line listing of new cases” he added.
“WASH/BOSEPA interventions on water supply and toilet facilities; Meeting with all supporting partners for collaborative response; Involvement of WHO HTR teams,Field Volunteers, VCMs in response and Health promotion activities. All these measures were applied in Monguno on 23/6/17 with 19 suspected cases(4 positive cases). Dislodgement of toilets/pit latrines ongoing right now in Monguno by BOSEPA in collaboration with partners and siting/digging of final disposal site. For Ngala, State RRT and Partners alone with Ngala LGA RRT played great roles in community mobilisation/sensitisation, WASH both State and Unicef carried out several interventions in the aspect of water supply, Toilet facilities, Shelters, general environmental sanitation by BOSEPA, spraying of Camps, identification and training of VCMs for health and hygiene promotion among IDPs” the Commissioner said.
