The United Nations and the World Health Organization have confirmed 423 cases of Lassa Fever in Nigeria.

Lassa fever is a viral infection, primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine, feces, or blood.

The outbreak began in Ogun province in December 2016 and spread across the country into neighboring Benin, Togo, and Burkina Faso. Thus far, 106 people, including eight health workers, have lost their lives. The nation saw an uptick in diagnoses in 2018. From January 2018 to February, the number of cases jumped from 10 per week to 70. Thankfully, the number of new cases has dropped and is no longer considered a national health emergency.

“Early diagnosis and treatment can save lives,” said Wondimagegnehu Alemu, the head of WHO programmes in Nigeria.

The World Health Organization continues to support the Nigerian government in fighting the disease. Lassa Fever management centers are operational in the states of Ebonyi, Edo, and Ondo. Health works are encouraged to remain vigilant even though cases are decreasing. When a health worker suspects a Lassa Fever patient, they must wear protective equipment like gloves, masks, face shields, and aprons. 

Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions can provide government and humanitarian organizations with solar cold storage for vaccines, medicine, equipment, and blood. The Aldelano Solar ColdBox is an off-grid, industrial grade cold storage mini-warehouse. This life-saving unit can ensure medical facilities or pop-up units have the necessary storage for critical equipment and vaccines in even the most remote regions of the world.

Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions products go beyond the grid to help health workers reach those in need with robust equipment.

“The most likely route of transmission continues to be spillover of viruses from the rodent reservoir to humans rather than extensive human-to-human transmission,” the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) said in a recent report.

Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions products can also provide storage for food. The Aldelano Solar Chiller/Pre-Cooler is optimal for farming cold storage. It is a small cold storage unit that runs on solar power.

All Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions products have the opportunity to be utilized by an entire community and not a single household. The size and fortitude of each product can go beyond a single home or medical facility.