Richard Ginika Izuora
The National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) has organised a one-day sensitisation for corps members in Zamfara on measures to prevent Lassa fever disease.
According to the State NYSC Coordinator, Mr Namallam Taura, the workshop was aimed at educating the corps members on the causes and course of the disease.
“The Lassa fever is hitting more states and we have been directed by the NYSC National Headquarters to sensitise corps members on preventive measures.
“Following the directives, we made it mandatory to all serving corps members to attend the sensitisation lecture considering its importance.
“Various resource persons from the Federal Medical Center, Gusau and Yarima Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau have been engaged by the scheme to deliver various lectures,’’ he said.
He urged corps members to put into practice what they had learnt from the lecture.
“You should always keep your environment clean and make sure you observe personal hygiene effectively,’’ Taura told the corps members.
One of the Speakers, Dr Musa Yakubu of Community Medicine and Public Health Department at FMC, Gusau urged corps members to be proactive against the disease.
Yakubu urged corps members to contact the hospital on time in case of any suspected symptoms.
“You should contact the hospital quickly for early treatment.
“The chances of survival is 90 per cent with early treatment. But, if the treatment starts late, the chances of survival is less than 50 per cent,’’ he said.
The state Epidemiologist, Dr Rabi Usman, said that the state government had embarked on sensitisation to enlighten the people on symptoms and proactive measures.
Usman urged corps members to improve their hygiene in order to avoid the risk of being infected.