The FCT Primary Health Care Development Board on Thursday began the immunization of 3,000 residents of Dakwa village against Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM).
The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that the measure was in quick response to the death of two persons from an outbreak of the disease in the area.
One Abigail Tumo, 22, and a six-year-old child were reported to have died of complications from the disease last Friday in Dakwa village, Bwari Area Council of the FCT.
Mohammed said the two deaths in Dakwa had brought the death toll from the outbreak to six in FCT.
According to him, the board is doing everything possible to prevent further spread of the disease in the village and other parts of the FCT.
He urged residents of Abuja not to panic over the development as the board was adequately equipped to immunise residents and prevent further loss of lives.
“So far we have five deaths from suspected cases and one confirmed case of meningitis in Abuja.
“There were four deaths recorded from suspected cases in Durumi, Abuja Municipal Area Council, and out of two recorded in Dakwa, one was confirmed while the other one was a mere suspected case,” he said.
Earlier at the palace of Sarkin Dakwa, Alhaji Alhassan Babachukuri, the traditional ruler described the outbreak that claimed the lives of two people in his domain as unfortunate.
Babachukuri appealed to his subjects to come out en-mass for the ongoing vaccination against CSM.
Oficials of the FCT Primary Health Care Development Board, Bwari Area Council and the World Health Organisation (WHO) visited the deceased (Abigail Tumo)’s house to condole with the family.
The father of the deceased, Mr Sunday Tumo, described the death of his daughter as sad, saying the bereaved members of the family had taken it in good faith as Christians.
However, Tumo, a retired Deputy Director with the National Orientation Agency, expressed happiness over the awareness the death of his daughter from the disease had created in the area and other parts of FCT.
He commended government for the immediate response to prevent the spread of the disease to other parts of the FCT and the country at large. (NAN)
