The Jigawa State Ministry of Health has raised the alarm over an outbreak of acute viral conjunctivitis, popularly known as Apollo, in some... The post Jigawa raises alarm over Apollo outbreak, direct schools to step up measures appeared first on Tribune Online .
The Jigawa State Ministry of Health has raised the alarm over an outbreak of acute viral conjunctivitis, popularly known as Apollo, in some communities across the state.
The ministry, therefore, directed schools and health authorities to intensify preventive measures against the spread of the disease as schools prepare to resume on Monday.
The directive was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Public Health and Disease Control, Dr Abubakar D. Said Kanya, on behalf of the Commissioner for Health.
The ministry said the development required immediate and coordinated action to prevent further transmission, ensure early detection, and provide prompt treatment to affected students and members of the communities.
It directed all schools to strengthen health education and sensitisation among students, teachers and other school personnel on practical measures to prevent the spread of the infection.
The ministry urged students and school personnel to wash their hands regularly with soap and clean water and avoid touching or rubbing their eyes, particularly with unwashed hands.
It also warned against sharing towels, handkerchiefs, face towels, pillows, cosmetics, eye drops, medicines and other personal belongings that could facilitate transmission.
According to the directive, students who develop symptoms of the infection should immediately report to their teachers or school authorities and seek medical attention at the nearest health facility.
Schools were equally advised to avoid close contact between students and persons with red or infected eyes and ensure regular cleaning of commonly touched surfaces.
At the local government level, Primary Healthcare Managers and Heads of WASH Departments were directed to coordinate the response in collaboration with NTDs/Primary Eye Care Coordinators, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs), Health Promotion Officers and other relevant health personnel.
The ministry tasked the teams with conducting targeted sensitisation and active case identification in schools and affected communities, especially in areas where cases have already been reported.
DSNOs were also directed to strengthen surveillance and ensure that suspected outbreaks or unusual increases in cases were promptly reported through established surveillance channels.
Schools were urged to notify relevant health authorities immediately whenever clusters of suspected cases were detected.
To ensure prompt treatment, the Commissioner for Health directed the immediate availability of basic essential medicines for managing affected students.
Consequently, JiPHARMA was directed to make the medicines available at its headquarters in Dutse and three stores for onward distribution to the 27 local government areas.
Deputy Directors in charge of Essential Drugs were instructed to liaise with NTDs/Primary Eye Care Coordinators and DSNOs to facilitate the preparation and submission of requests to the nearest JiPHARMA store or office.
The LGA teams were further directed to promptly request required medicines, distribute supplies to appropriate health facilities and ensure that affected students were referred to the nearest suitable health facility for treatment.
They were also mandated to maintain adequate stocks in health facilities serving schools in affected areas while monitoring consumption and replenishment needs.
The ministry stressed that the response must be integrated and coordinated, with LGA Primary Healthcare Managers providing overall leadership and other relevant officers offering technical support.
It listed the immediate priorities as preventing transmission, detecting cases early, making prompt referrals, providing appropriate treatment, and ensuring effective reporting and monitoring.
The ministry urged all concerned authorities to treat the directive as urgent, particularly because of the scheduled resumption of schools on Monday.
