In an effort to curb the spread of Lassa fever, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, the commissioner of health and human services in the state of Benue, has announced the deployment of 23 surveillance officers to each of the 23 local government areas. The purpose of this deployment is to improve disease monitoring, contact tracing, and grassroots sensitisation.
This was revealed by Ogwuche while he was touring the isolation unit at Makurdi’s Benue State University Teaching Hospital.
Recognising the increasing infection incidence, he reaffirmed the government’s resolve to intensify containment efforts.
The importance of early detection and rapid treatment in reducing the disease’s mortality toll was emphasised in his call to the public to visit approved health centers as soon as symptoms develop.
During the commissioner’s visit, Dr. Terungwa Stephen Hwande, chief medical director of Benue State University Teaching institution, voiced his alarm about the recent uptick in infections, disclosing that 28 cases had been reported by the institution as of February 2026.
In light of the incident, the hospital management tightened its controls and procedures for preventing infections, according to Dr. Hwande, who thanked the commissioner for his visit.
He went on to say that the isolation unit needs an improved waste disposal system, patient monitoring devices, and other life-saving medical equipment, and that the government should step in quickly to help pay for it.
Hwande also detailed plans to establish a fully operating emergency laboratory within the isolation center to enable prompt on-site testing, according to a statement from the hospital’s Head of Public Relations and Protocol, Tsenzughul Moses.
At the same time, Dr. Msuega Asema, the state epidemiologist of Benue, revealed that as of February 26, 2026, out of 250 suspected cases, 45 instances of Lassa fever had been confirmed, with 10 fatalities documented.