"We don't have the resources to fight meningitis"-DG NCDC

Director-General, National Centre for Disease Control{NCDC}, Chikwe Ihekwedo has said his agency lacks the capacity to fight the outbreak of Meningitis in the country.

Responding to queries from Senate Committee on Primary Health Care on why it took his agency such a long time to alert and adequately warn citizens about the outbreak of Meningitis, Ihekwedo said his agency is at the moment not adequately resourced to effectively carry out its mandate.

What the agency currently requires is about N 1.5 billion for vaccination in 5 states where the impact of the disease is most endemic; an amount that is bound to over-stretch its lean purse for 2017.

NCDC said it has only twelve treatment centres spread across the affected States.

Authorities recorded the first sign of the present outbreak in Nigeria's Northwestern State of Zamfara since the second week of December 2016.

The outbreak has left 328 persons dead.

Meningitis is not new to Nigeria but there has not been readily available vaccines for the latest entry {Meningitis Type C) in the country.

Nigeria is therefore left with no option than seek assistance from WHO for vaccines which are already in the country to fight the spread of the disease.

The vaccinations and immunizations against the disease are expected to begin on Wednesday in Zamfara which is the epicentre of the epidemic.

But as part of measures to check the spread of the disease, NCDC wants citizens to avoid over-crowded places and report cases to hospitals as soon as possible.