The Senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial zone, Uba Sani has urged the Senate to move quickly to address the outbreak of Measles in some communities in Igabi local government of Kaduna State.
Kaduna State recorded an outbreak of measles at Wusar Community and Gwaraji Ward, Igabi Local Government Area on Monday.
The Senator, who sponsored a motion to that effect in the Senate, noted that since outbreak, over one hundred children in the community have lost their lives.
He expressed concerns that the death toll could still rise due to the slow response from the agencies charged with the responsibility of handling such challenges.
Senator Sani said Nigeria ranked among countries with the highest cases of measles infection in the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) with states in Northern Nigeria recording the highest attack rate and that the statistics had further indicated that over 750, 000 children died in 2015 alone due to the poor nature of the health sector in Nigeria.
He said the death of over 100 children in Kaduna State and the loss of lives of several other children all over the country could have been prevented if the children had been vaccinated.
He urged the Senate to direct the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to, as a matter of urgency report to the community for on-the-spot assessment, with a view to providing relief materials and all other necessary support as may be necessary to mitigate the loss suffered by the community;
The Senator also urged the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), National Orientation Agency and other relevant Federal Government Agencies to embark on, and intensify massive sensitization and awareness campaign on the dangers associated with measles with a view to eliminating the scourge in the country.
The Senator urged the Senate to direct its Committee on Primary Health and Communicable Disease when constituted, to engage the Director General of the NCDC on the status of the Centre’s statutory requirement to have Zonal Centres in all the six geo political zones and offices in all the States of the federation as well as follow up on the activities of the Centre and to direct the NCDC to set up an office in Kaduna State as well as increase budgetary allocation for the management of the NCDC and the management of NPHCDA in order to fast-track the establishment of zonal centres in all the six geo political zones and offices in all the states of the federation.
