The Benue State Government has stepped up efforts to contain a worsening Lassa fever outbreak in the state, with health officials intensifying surveillance, stakeholder collaboration and emergency response measures.
Authorities officially declared the outbreak in early February 2026 and have since recorded dozens of suspected and confirmed cases, including multiple deaths, as frontline health workers and the general public face increasing risk. Latest data show 45 confirmed infections and at least 10 deaths linked to the disease, with several healthcare workers among those killed.
To tackle the crisis, the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services convened a high-level meeting with key partners — including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) — to align strategies for surveillance, contact tracing, isolation, treatment, and infection prevention.
Key actions include:
- Deploying surveillance teams to all 23 local government areas to track and monitor suspected infections and contacts.
- Strengthening isolation centres and lab capacity to improve case management and rapid diagnosis.
- Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) and logistical support for frontline healthcare workers.
- Community engagement and awareness campaigns to educate residents about symptoms, prevention and early care.
Officials have urged residents to maintain strict hygiene, rodent-proof food storage, and seek immediate medical attention if symptoms such as persistent fever, weakness or bleeding appear, emphasising that timely intervention is crucial to reducing fatalities and stopping further spread of the virus.
The coordinated response reflects wider public health efforts to curb Lassa fever across Nigeria, where seasonal outbreaks often strain health systems and require sustained surveillance and community cooperation.
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