High transport costs, others slowing Lassa fever response

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has identified high specimen transportation costs, reporting inconsistencies and weak data validation systems as major challenges affecting the timely detection and response to Lassa fever cases in some states.

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The agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

Mr Idris said transporting samples from remote communities to state laboratories remains expensive and logistically difficult, particularly in hard-to-reach areas, slowing confirmation and response efforts.

Although zonal laboratories have improved testing turnaround times compared to previous years, he noted that performance still varies across states.

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Surveillance gaps, reporting delays

Mr Idris explained that the NCDC monitors states using the 7-1-7 surveillance benchmark, detecting suspected cases within seven days, reporting within one day and initiating response within seven days.

“Some states are doing better than others. We monitor parameters such as detection timelines, reporting within 24 hours and response within 48 hours under the 7-1-7 surveillance benchmark,” he said.

He stressed that while the NCDC coordinates outbreak response nationally through its Incident Management System, effective control ultimately depends on state-level execution.

“If states do not coordinate properly, there will be chaos. Case management is done at the hospital level. Doctors are there, but the system must function,” he said.

Mr Idris also raised concerns about parallel reporting systems, revealing that some tertiary hospitals have confirmed cases without notifying state authorities.

“In one instance, suspected cases were recorded in a teaching hospital, with one confirmed case, without the state government being informed. That created a gap in surveillance,” he said.

He added that discrepancies sometimes arise when different institutions collect data independently, leading to variations between federal and state figures.

“We rely on validated data. If information is circulated without proper validation, it gives a wrong picture and can cause confusion,” he said.

“In some facilities, there is poor internet connectivity or lack of funds to procure data. These are operational realities that affect reporting timelines.”

Mr Idris emphasised that outbreak control requires stronger dialogue with commissioners for health and improved coordination between state governments and tertiary institutions.

“We must ensure data flows through the proper reporting line. Without accurate data, response efforts are weakened,” he said, adding that while federal authorities provide technical support, effective containment requires ownership at the state level.

Cases rise in Week 6

The operational concerns come amid a fresh rise in confirmed infections.

In its latest situation report, the NCDC said 74 new confirmed Lassa fever cases were recorded in Epidemiological (Epi) Week 6 of 2026, between 2 and 8 February. The figure marks a sharp increase from the 44 cases reported in Week 5.

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The 74 cases were recorded across Taraba, Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi and Ebonyi states.

A total of 271 suspected cases and 15 deaths were reported during the week, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 20.3 per cent among confirmed cases.

51 deaths recorded in 2026

Cumulatively, from Epi Week 1 to Week 6 in 2026, Nigeria has recorded 1,034 suspected cases, 240 confirmed cases and four probable cases across 10 states and 42 local government areas.

Within the same period, 51 deaths were recorded among confirmed cases, resulting in a CFR of 21.3 per cent, higher than the 19.4 per cent CFR reported during the corresponding period in 2025.

For comparison, during Epi Week 1 to Week 6 in 2025, Nigeria recorded 1,913 suspected cases, 413 confirmed cases, five probable cases and 80 deaths across 11 states and 63 LGAs.