No fewer than six Almajirai students of Tsangaya Islamic schools in Udobo Town, Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State, have been confirmed dead from a suspected meningitis outbreak in the village.
According to Nairu Baukura who is the Chairman of Gamawa Local Government Caretaker Committee, two other Almajirai pupils from the Tsangaya schools are receiving treatment at the Udobo Maternity Clinic. While Baukura could not confirm the exact number of people affected, he stated that several others have been treated and discharged.
Africa Today News, New York gathered that the outbreak has reportedly spread across three Tsangaya centres within the local government area.
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In response to the situation, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Rilwanu Mohammed, has assured that the state is working to address the outbreak.
He revealed that seven local government areas have reported meningitis cases, and the situation is being managed through isolation and treatment measures.
Mohammed explained that patients who have been in close contact with the affected individuals are being administered drugs to prevent the spread of the disease. However, he acknowledged the global shortage of vaccines, noting that the state has only been able to vaccinate people in two local government areas so far.
The health official warned that the disease is transmitted through public gatherings, underscoring the importance of preventive measures to contain the outbreak.
Meanwhile, Senator Bala Mohammed, the Governor of Bauchi State, has given the green light for the modification of closing hours for civil servants during the Ramadan fasting period.
As per a statement signed by the Overseeing Director, Establishments for Head of Civil Service, Isma’il Ibn Garam, the governor has directed civil servants to conclude their work at 3 pm from Mondays to Thursdays, and at 1 pm on Fridays throughout the Ramadan fasting period.