| dc.description.abstract | Recent media reports confirm a Lassa Fever outbreak in Benue State resulting in the deaths of 10 health workers, including five medical doctors, among 250 suspected cases and 45 confirmed infections. The high incidence among frontline healthcare personnel has raised serious concerns regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) compliance within health facilities. State health authorities, following on-site assessments at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, have identified lapses in IPC protocols and human-to-human transmission as contributory factors.
At the national level, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reported 74 new confirmed cases in Epidemiological Week 6 (2–8 February 2026) across eight states, including Benue, bringing cumulative confirmed deaths in 2026 to 51 and a case fatality rate of 21.3%. This resurgence occurs despite legislative attention in May 2025, when the National Assembly was briefed on surveillance gaps, laboratory capacity constraints, and healthcare worker protection challenges. The recurrence of high-risk outbreaks indicates persistent structural weaknesses in epidemic preparedness and
health system resilience. The Benue outbreak underlines multiple systemic challenges. The deaths of healthcare workers
suggest gaps in occupational safety, IPC training, and availability or proper use of personal protective equipment. Persistent surveillance and laboratory bottlenecks, including high transportation costs and logistical delays in specimen transfer from remote communities, continue to hinder timely diagnosis and response. Limited public awareness and insufficient community sensitisation may also contribute to sustained transmission. Furthermore, the persistence of these
issues despite prior legislative briefings suggests the need for renewed oversight into the implementation and effectiveness of earlier recommendations.
The Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare, Development and Disease Control, alongside the House Committee on Health Care Services and the House Committee on Health Institutions, has oversight responsibility for national health agencies and epidemic preparedness. Given the confirmed deaths of frontline health personnel and the risk of wider community spread, legislative engagement is necessary to assess IPC compliance, identify operational bottlenecks, strengthen inter-agency coordination, and ensure adequate protection for healthcare workers.
In light of these concerns, the Senate Committee on Primary Healthcare, Development and Disease Control is respectfully urged to consider the following actions:
1. Invite the Honourable Minister of Health and the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to provide a detailed briefing on the outbreak, with particular emphasis on healthcare worker infections, IPC compliance levels, rapid response measures, and identified systemic gaps.
2. Call on the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and the Federal Ministry of Health, to implement an immediate nationwide sensitisation campaign on Lassa Fever prevention, symptom recognition, and early intervention protocols.
3. Investigate barriers to effective IPC implementation in health facilities, including training deficiencies, shortages of protective equipment, and weak enforcement of safety standards, and develop actionable recommendations to reduce occupational exposure.
4. Examine logistical and operational challenges affecting specimen transportation, laboratory diagnostics, and real-time disease reporting, with a view to informing targeted funding allocations, capacity-building initiatives, and strategic resource deployment for outbreak response. | en_US |
