National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) says it has recorded one case of yellow fever at a gold mining site in Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State.
Director, Special Duties and Chairman of National Measles Yellow Fever Technical Committee, Dr Joseph Oteri, disclosed this during media orientation forum for yellow fever preventive mass vaccination campaign in Abuja on Tuesday.
The forum organised by NPHCDA in conjunction with the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF), had media representatives from Niger, Kogi, Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Borno and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Oteri said that the the current outbreak of yellow fever on Oct. 19 in the country, indicate that the gold mining site in Lapai was on high risk of yellow fever.
He solicited the support of the media in sensitising residents of the area to desist from further mining activities on the site during the 2018 yellow fever campaign scheduled for Nov. 22 to Dec. 1.
He called on media organisations to participate actively in sensitising the public, create awareness and promote the yellow fever campaign for people to come out en mass to get vaccinated.
“The vaccination will be from nine months to 44 years of age, parents are advised to avail themselves and their children to partake in the vaccination.
“The vaccines is free, safe and effective,” he said.
The chairman however disclosed that 60,000 people die from yellow fever annually in 47 endemic countries, adding that about 900 million people were at risk of the disease.
“Africa and South America are the most affected continents; in Africa, there are 34 high risk endemic countries, serious epidemic have affected un-immunised people in rural and urban areas.
“This has been increase in the number of reported yellow fever in Africa during the last five years,” he said.
Congo had on Aug. 22, declared yellow fever outbreak in that country.
NAN