From Olanrewaju

Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi

  Kebbi State Government has linked the outbreak of 656 cases of measles in the state to the fact many of its local government areas share boundaries with Sokoto State, which has  high number cases of measles among the northern states.   

   The Executive Chairman of Primary Health  Development Agency, Dr. Manir Hassan Jega, stated this while speaking with journalists ahead of 2017 campaign against measles in Birnin-Kebbi along with state commissioner for health, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambasa.

    He confirmed that out of the 656 suspected cases of measles recorded across 21 local governments of the state, 77 were confirmed in twelve councils.

   According to him “because of the rising cases in the whole northern Nigeria, Kebbi State inclusive, that is why national agency decided to flag-off fresh campaign. In Kebbi State, we have 656 suspected cases and 77 were confirmed in twelve LGAs.

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  “That was the reason the national agency declared that there is need for campaign. What I want to point out is that most of these suspected cases and confirmed cases as I mentioned earlier are in LGAs that share borders with Sokoto State because Sokoto state has high number of measles cases than Kebbi State.”

    The twelves affected LGAs with confirmed cases according to data made available to Daily Sun by the World Health Organisations (WHO) in Kebbi State include Arewa, 2 cases, Argungu, 26, Augie, 3, Bagudo, 8, Birnin- Kebbi 7, Dandi 5,Gwardu 5, Koko-Basse, 3, Ngaski, 5, Wasagu 2, Yauri, 4 and Maiyama, 7.

 Earlier this year,the former Sole Administrator of Yauri Local Government, Alhaji Musa Mohammed Yauri, confirmed 118 children were infected with measles in four villages under Rukubalo ward but said no life was lost.

   It would be recalled that in 2013, 2,500 cases of measles were recorded in the state.

   While addressing journalists, commissioner for health, Alhaji Umar Usman Kambasa said the outbreak of the disease in the state was due to low turnouts for  routine immunisations and poor coverage in previous campaign.

  The commissioner, who disclosed that 1,131 vaccinators had been recruited with seven of them in each ward  said  they targeted over 48,124 children between 9 months to 5 years to receive the vaccines expected to kick off tomorrow.