Health
India’s COVID-19 death toll now 50,000
India’s official coronavirus death toll soared past 50,000 on Monday as the pandemic rages through smaller cities and rural areas where health care is feeble and stigmatisation rife.
Many experts say the real numbers may be far higher due to low testing rates and because deaths are often not properly recorded in the vast and impoverished nation of 1.3 billion people.
India last week overtook Britain with the world’s fourth-highest number of fatalities, behind the United States, Brazil and Mexico, and as of Monday had recorded 50,921 deaths, according to the health ministry.
With some of the world’s biggest megacities and slums, India is already the third-most infected nation behind the US and Brazil with 2.65 million infections.
Despite the rising death toll, the health ministry said on Sunday that India’s virus mortality rate of 1.92 percent was “one of the lowest globally”.
“Successful implementation of testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently through a plethora of measures have contributed to the existing high level of recoveries,” the ministry said.
According to tracking website Worldometer, the United States, with 170,000 deaths, has a death rate of 3.11 percent while Brazil, with almost 110,000 fatalities, sees 3.22 percent of those who test positive die.
According to the Indian health ministry, the US “crossed 50,000 deaths in 23 days, Brazil in 95 days and Mexico in 141 days. India took 156 days to reach this national figure.”
Possible reasons that have been suggested include India’s relatively young population, its climate and greater exposure to pathogens that cause tuberculosis than elsewhere.
But experts say India’s testing rates per million inhabitants are far lower than other countries, and that too few deaths are properly recorded — even in normal times.
“(A) couple of studies have indicated that… only one in four deaths is certified and a cause of death is established,” Lalit Kant, former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research, told AFP.
In addition, many of the tests being done — up to 30 percent nationally — are the less reliable rapid antigen tests where “false negatives” can be reported in up to half of cases, according to media reports.
Lockdown misery
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government imposed in March one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.
It dealt a heavy blow to Asia’s third-biggest economy and caused misery for the country’s poor, with tens of millions of migrant workers left jobless almost overnight.
Vast numbers trudged back penniless to their home villages from cities including New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, many of them on foot. Some died on the way.
The lockdown has since been steadily eased but many sectors complain that they are severely short of workers.
State and local governments across the country have meanwhile reimposed lockdown measures as the virus has spread to smaller cities and rural areas, where around 70 percent of Indians live.
In many rural regions however, anecdotal evidence suggests that measures to stop the spread such as masks and distancing are widely ignored.
In addition, a lack of public awareness has contributed to those with the virus being ostracised, making people more reluctant to get tested.
Health care facilities outside the major cities are also severely stretched.
“In smaller cities and towns and rural areas tests of COVID-19 may not be available,” Lalit said.
“Patients with COVID-like symptoms are often turned away from heath care facilities, some may die without a test being done.”
AFP
The Oyo State Ministry of Health has closed two hospitals in Saki West Local Government Area following a suspected outbreak of Lassa fever, which has claimed four lives.
The fatalities, confirmed by the Oyo State Rapid Response Team (RRT), include three males and a 32-year-old female who was preparing for her wedding. The closure of the hospitals aims to contain the spread of the disease and ensure thorough decontamination.
In a press statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, revealed that the RRT was dispatched to Saki following distress calls from residents reporting mysterious deaths.
Findings and Immediate Actions
The RRT, comprising health officials, representatives from WHO and the Red Cross, and local health authorities, conducted a comprehensive investigation into the outbreak.
Preliminary findings suggest that an apprentice at one of the affected hospitals, who had recently returned from Iwajowa Local Government Area, might have introduced the infection.
The team disclosed that the deceased exhibited symptoms consistent with Lassa fever, such as craniofacial bleeding. The hospital owner, who was among the deceased, initially self-medicated with antimalarials and antibiotics before seeking hospital care when his condition worsened.
Containment Measures
Both the hospital where the fatalities occurred and the facility that admitted the hospital owner were shut down for decontamination.
Contact tracing efforts are ongoing, focusing on high-risk individuals who had contact with the deceased during their illness or burial.
Affected health workers were trained on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, and public awareness campaigns were conducted to educate residents about Lassa fever.
Samples have been collected from a symptomatic individual, pending laboratory confirmation. Line-listing of contacts is underway to identify potential cases and prevent further spread.
Collaborative Efforts
The RRT also paid an advocacy visit to the Okere of Saki’s palace to brief traditional authorities on the situation. Local government officials in Saki West were engaged to coordinate containment strategies.
Reports indicate that while the outbreak initially affected Saki West, it has extended to Iwajowa and Kajola Local Government Areas.
Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) in the affected LGAs have been instructed to commence preliminary containment measures as the State RRT ramps up its response.
Call for Vigilance
The Ministry of Health has urged residents to remain vigilant, report any symptoms suggestive of Lassa fever, and adhere to preventive measures.
These include proper hygiene practices, avoiding contact with rodents, and seeking medical attention promptly if symptoms arise.
A member representing Ibarapa East/Ido federal constituency of Oyo State at the House of Representatives, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has announced a plan to launch a “Mobile Clinic” programme aimed at providing essential healthcare services directly to rural communities across the constituency.
Scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2025, this initiative underscores Oseni’s commitment to expanding healthcare access, particularly for underserved populations.
Speaking on Saturday at the 10th-anniversary celebration of God’s Knot Hospital in Ologuneru, Ibadan, the lawmaker, who also chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), highlighted the programme’s primary objective: bringing healthcare closer to the people.
“Every community deserves attention; healthcare should never be bound by geographical barriers,” Oseni stated.
He explained that the mobile clinics would deliver essential health check-ups, screenings, and preventive care in remote areas, allowing residents to access quality healthcare without traveling long distances.
As part of his broader healthcare agenda, Oseni informed, through a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, that he has already facilitated the construction of two fully equipped maternity centers within his constituency, both slated for commissioning before December 2024. He also disclosed plans to establish two modern general hospitals in 2025, further strengthening his commitment to building a healthier community.
The lawmaker expressed interest in collaborating with God’s Knot Hospital on the mobile clinic project, calling for partnerships to support sustainable healthcare initiatives that enhance the quality of life for vulnerable populations in the constituency.
“I resonate deeply with the mission of God’s Knot Hospital,” Oseni shared, adding that such partnerships would significantly improve healthcare in Oyo State”.
The anniversary event attracted distinguished guests, including former Ondo State Governor Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, whom Oseni commended for his contributions to healthcare, particularly through the Mother and Child Hospitals that transformed maternal and child healthcare in Ondo State.
Oseni urged philanthropists, government bodies, and international organizations to support healthcare projects like the upcoming mobile clinics, emphasising that the improvement of healthcare services is a shared responsibility.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate closure of the Gomboru drug market in Maiduguri following severe flooding that submerged the area and contaminated the drugs sold within the market.
In a statement posted on its official X handle, NAFDAC disclosed that the decision was made after reports surfaced that contaminated drugs, which had been washed and sun-dried for resale, were being sold at the market.
“After the recent flooding in Maiduguri that submerged the Gomboru drug market where contaminated drugs were washed and sun-dried for resale, the @DGatNAFDAC ordered the immediate closure of the market to conduct a thorough shop-to-shop removal of these compromised drugs,” the agency wrote.
The flooding, which ravaged Maiduguri, was triggered by the rupture of the Alau dam on the Ngadda River, located 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the city.
The floodwaters claimed at least 30 lives and displaced 400,000 residents, leaving large parts of the city and surrounding areas in devastation.
NAFDAC’s intervention is aimed at safeguarding public health by preventing the sale and consumption of contaminated drugs.
The agency has mobilized teams to inspect the market and ensure the removal of all compromised pharmaceutical products.
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