EKPOMA – Stakeholders in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State have adopted aggressive approaches to fighting Lassa fever disease in the local government.

Esan West Local Government currently ranks highest in the current outbreak of Lassa fever in Edo State, in terms of number of confirmed cases of the disease.

Authorities of Esan West Local Government Council are currently embarking on aggressive environmental sanitation and deratisation of the various communities to eliminate rats.

The council, in collaboration with Civil Society groups, such as Josemaria Escriva Foundation, Concerned Ekpoma Eminent Stakeholders Forum and others, are currently embarking on massive sensitization campaign to boost awareness about the disease.

Speaking last Saturday during the compulsory environmental sanitation exercise in Ekpoma, the acting chairman of the council, who is the Head of Local Government Administration (HOLGA), Engr.Emmanue Ibadode Said that the exercise was part of efforts to keep the local government clean, and also to eradicate Lassa fever.

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He explained that his administration was similarly fighting the dreaded lassa fever disease through massive sensitization campaign to increase awareness about the disease, through collaboration with civil society groups.

He disclosed that efforts would be made to ensure that every household register with waste managers to eliminate the current situation where people dump refuse into the drainage systems, thereby causing flooding in the town.

The head of Environment Department of Esan West, Mr.Ikhide said the objective of the sanitation exercise was to keep the local government clean so that the people could live a healthier life, adding that it was also a way of eliminating rats, the causative agent of Lassa fever disease.

As a strategy to ensure the success of the sanitation exercise, the environmentalist said the council shutdown the markets till 10am, to ensure traders cleaned their stores, while desilting of gutters and evacuation of refuse were going on simultaneously.