IRRUA – A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Lift Above Poverty Organisation (LAPO) has stressed the importance of hygiene in the prevention of the dreaded Lassa Fever virus.
The NGO during its campaign against the scourge in Irrua, Esan Central Local Government Area of Edo State, identified clean environment as the best preventive measure against the virus.
The programme officer of LAPO in charge of medical outreach, Vivian Onuorah explained that rats which are the carriers of the Lassa fever virus would hardly find clean houses habitable.
She enjoined the people to imbibe the culture of regular hand washing, just as she advised them to eliminate rats from their homes.
Onuorah equally advised them to make it a habit to cover their food, while maintaining good hygiene, to prevent the disease, and equally implored the people to quickly rush to the hospital at the slightest suspicion of the disease.
She disclosed that Lassa Fever Prevention Project was a social mobilisation project supported by LAPO in response to high prevalence of Lassa fever in some rural communities of Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial Districts of Edo State.
” LAPO is partnering with community based organizations within target communities for massive awareness creation activities aimed at promoting healthy behaviours for Lassa Fever prevention. The project will promote LAPO mission of improving lives of its target beneficiaries”, she explained.
The NGO had previously carried out awareness campaign to sensitise residents of Ubiaja, Esan South East Local Government Area, Uromi, Esan North East Local Government Area and Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, on the dangers of Lassa Fever virus, as well as preventive measures.
LAPO, during the public rally at Irrua Main Market, raised awareness on causes, prevention and signs and symptoms of Lassa Fever virus, using public address systems to sensitise the people in both Esan and pigin English languages, and also distributed leaflets.
