health
NCDC reports 674 Lassa fever cases, 127 deaths in early 2025
The NCDC has confirmed 674 Lassa fever cases and 127 deaths across 18 states in Nigeria from January to April 6, 2025.
The NCDC has confirmed 674 Lassa fever cases and 127 deaths across 18 states in Nigeria from January to April 6, 2025
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported a total of 674 confirmed cases of Lassa fever, with 127 associated deaths, across 18 states and 93 local government areas in Nigeria between January and April 6, 2025.
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This information was released in the NCDC’s latest situation report on Tuesday. The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) currently stands at 18.8 per cent.
The states that have recorded fatalities include Ondo (26), Bauchi (12), Edo (17), Taraba (31), Ebonyi (11), Kogi (four), Plateau (five), Gombe (seven), Benue (four), Nasarawa (four), Kaduna (two), Enugu (one), Delta (one), Cross-River (one), and Ogun (one).
Lassa fever is an acute viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the Lassa virus, with the multimammate rat being the primary natural reservoir.
The NCDC report highlighted that in the 14th week of 2025, 15 new confirmed cases were recorded, an increase from the 14 cases reported in the previous week.
These new cases were identified in Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, Ebonyi, and Gombe States. Cumulatively, by week 14, the 127 deaths reported resulted in a CFR of 18.8 per cent, which is slightly higher than the 18.5 per cent CFR recorded during the same period in 2024.
The majority (71 per cent) of all confirmed Lassa fever cases in 2025 have been reported from three states: Ondo (30 per cent), Bauchi (25 per cent), and Edo (16 per cent).
The remaining 28 per cent of cases were reported from the other 15 affected states. The most affected age group is between 21 and 30 years, with an overall age range of 1 to 94 years and a median age of 30 years. The male-to-female ratio among confirmed cases is 1:0.8.
The NCDC noted a decrease in the number of suspected cases compared to the same period in 2024, and no new healthcare workers were affected in week 14. The National Lassa fever multi-partner, multi-sectoral Incident Management System has been activated to coordinate response efforts at all levels.
The Governor of Zamfara State, His Excellency Dauda Lawal, has approved a 95 percent salary increase for health workers across the state.
The approval, which adopts the Federal Government’s Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), is aimed at improving the welfare of health workers and strengthening healthcare delivery in the state.
The development follows an earlier increase by the state government to bring the salaries of medical personnel in Zamfara in line with those of their counterparts in the Federal Government.
With the new approval, a health worker currently earning ₦100,000 will now take home ₦195,000, while someone on ₦200,000 will earn ₦390,000. A worker on ₦300,000 will now receive ₦585,000, and those on ₦500,000 and ₦1,000,000 will earn ₦975,000 and ₦1,950,000 respectively.
In effect, the 95 percent increase means the existing salary of every affected health worker is almost doubled.
The approval is expected to boost morale, attract and retain qualified health professionals, and ultimately improve healthcare delivery across the state.
It also comes shortly after the state government recruited new health workers last week, with the newly engaged staff set to benefit from the new salary structure.
Health workers in the state have since expressed appreciation to Governor Lawal for the gesture, describing it as a major boost to the sector.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers and the delivery of quality healthcare services to the people of Zamfara State.
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