Lassa Fever: Ebonyi Confirms 23 Deaths, 48 Cases 

Ebonyi State has confirmed 23 deaths from Lassa Fever disease, with 394 suspected cases and 48 confirmed cases recorded since January 2024.

This was made known by the Governor, Francis Nwifuru on Thursday during an event organised by the state ministry of health in Abakaliki, the state capital, disclosing that a total of 48 cases out of 394 cases of Laser Fever have been confirmed between January and December 2024.

Nwifuru said that the state plans to establish one specialist hospital in each of the three senatorial zones to boost healthcare delivery in rural areas.

“In Ebonyi State, we have recorded 394 suspected cases since January till date with 48 confirmed cases out of which 23 persons died of the disease while 25 were treated and discharged home”.

“The spread of this virus is believed to be facilitated by socio-cultural practice, poor health-seeking behaviours, poor environmental sanitation and lack of awareness”.

“Our administration is committed to ensuring that every Ebonyi citizen enjoys basic, affordable, quality and accessible healthcare through our numerous interventions such as employment of qualified personnel to work in our hospitals, procurement of hospital equipment and consumables”.

“To underscore the importance we attach to the health of our people, substantial provisions were made in our 2025 budget. This is in addition to our resolve to establish a specialist hospital in each of the three senatorial zones of our dear state,” he added.