Not less than 99,000 cases of infectious diseases were recorded in Nigeria in the past three years, an analysis done by Premium TIMES has revealed.

Top of the ailments recorded were cholera, measles and Lassa fever.

Other diseases that affected a large number of Nigerians during the period include cerebrospinal meningitis, yellow fever and monkeypox.

About 1022 suspected Lassa fever cases were reported between 2016 and 2017. Of these, 308 were confirmed cases with 78 deaths recorded. Cholera had 5,264 suspected cases with 15 confirmed cases and 140 deaths reported. About 930 cases of measles were recorded.

In 2018, 3,498 suspected cases of Lassa fever were recorded, 633 were confirmed positive while 171 deaths were recorded. There were 42,466 suspected cholera cases with 830 deaths.

As of August 26, 2019, 3,303 suspected cases of Lassa fever had been reported. About 651 were confirmed positive and 145 deaths recorded. For cholera, there were 1,896 suspected cases including 35 deaths. Measles recorded 39,741 suspected cases, 1,438 positive cases with 124 deaths.

A total of 304 deaths have been recorded in 2019 so far. These include 145 deaths from Lassa fever, 124 from measles and 35 from cholera.

This scary situation, according to Prevent Epidemics website, remains challenging as it says ”Nigeria is not ready to find, stop and prevent epidemics.”

The World Health Organisation report on the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) ranked Nigeria 39th in the ‘preparedness for infectious ‘diseases’.

Outbreaks have been recorded in the country in the past few months. These include: an environmental strand of poliovirus seen in Makoko area of Lagos, Itire and Maracana canals in the state; cholera outbreaks in three local government areas in Adamawa; poliovirus type was reported in Ilorin East, Kwara State.

Insufficient budgetary allocation?

The level of disease preparedness and policy commitment of any country relatively depends on the level of investment in disease surveillance and outbreak response, experts say.