Reports reaching the desk of Africa Today News, New York has it that the national health ministry in Burkina Faso has declared a dengue fever epidemic with a notable surge in deaths and new cases recorded last week.
The virus is transmitted by infected mosquitoes biting humans. Warming climates provide an environment in which the insects thrive.
No fewer than 200 people have died this year in what is Burkina Faso’s most deadly outbreak in recent years.
People are being urged to make use of free testing facilities and screenings. Dengue fever is often symptomless – but when people do have symptoms these can include high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and a rash.
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The health ministry estimates that more than 50,000 people have the virus, mostly in Burkina Faso’s two biggest cities – Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso.
The World Health Organization recently warned that half the world’s population was now at risk of dengue fever, and that the disease was poised to emerge as a growing threat on the continent.
In another report, to address the crisis in the health sector, the House of Representatives has appealed to the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency and allocate significant funding in the 2024 budget projections.
The motion was put forth during the Abuja plenary by Fayinka Oluwatoyin (APC-Lagos).
The motion was titled, ‘Need for the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency to collaborate with relevant health agencies in states and Local Governments to ensure the functionality of Primary Healthcare Centres.’
Addressing the issue, Oluwatoyin, the representative for Mushin Federal Constituency II in Lagos State, pointed out that Nigeria, with the largest population in Africa, is experiencing significantly high levels of decrepit health facilities.
According to his findings, Nigeria had an estimated 39,983 hospitals and clinics in 2020, with primary healthcare centers making up roughly 34,000, which accounted for 86 percent of the total.