Weekly Epidemiological Report

October 2019 Week 41

Editoral

Reviewing the NCDC Strategy Plan Towards a Model National Public Health Institute

Posted: 28-10-2019 04:49:50 PM

In 2017, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) developed a 2017 – 2021 Strategy Plan. This was to articulate goals that will guide our activities, as we build a model national public health institute. Midway into the implementation of the strategy plan titled “Idea to Reality”, we held a three-day review session from October 21 – 23 2019.

The objectives of the workshop were to:

1. Perform a mid-point review and update the NCDC 2017-2021 strategy

2. Update key stakeholders on the overall progress of the NCDC 2017-2021 strategy implementation

3. Define priority themes and focus areas for NCDC beyond 2021

4. Enhance internal and external stakeholders’ understanding and buy-in of the strategy

5. Provide an opportunity for partners to provide feedback and harmonise partners’ offerings around the NCDC strategy.

The three-day review process provided an opportunity to highlight activities carried out in the last two years, identify success and challenges to implementation that need to be addressed. More importantly, an extensive period of time was spent to identify and prioritise activities to be carried out in the next three years, that will strengthen our capacity to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks.

Over the last two years, progress has been made in areas such as the passage of the NCDC Bill to an Act, full operationalisation of the NCDC National Reference Laboratory, development of genetic sequencing capacity, establishment of state Public Health Emergency Operations Centres, implementation of the Joint External Evaluation of International Health Regulations and several others.

Although progress has been delayed in other areas, the workshop provided an opportunity to brainstorm on challenges and identify approaches to overcome these.

In addition to NCDC staff from our three campuses, the workshop had representatives from the World Health Organisation, ECOWAS Regional Centre for Surveillance and Disease Control; Federal Ministry of Defence; US Centres for Disease Control, Public Health England; African Field Epidemiology Network and E-Health Africa.

The revised plan will also be made available to the public, in line with our mandate to keep Nigerians informed on activities to ensure national health security. .

We remain grateful to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for funding this critical aspect of our work, and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change for supporting the development and implementation of the NCDC Strategy Plan.


Summary of Incidents

Ongoing Incidents are defined as confirmed cases where a national EOC or equivalent has been activated

Other incidents are those confirmed cases for which EOC is not activated

Notes

1. Information for this disease was retrieved from the Technical Working Group and Situation Reports

2. Case Fatality Rate (CFR) for this disease is reported for confirmed cases only

3. Information for this disease was retrieved from IDSR 002 data

4. CFR for this disease is reported for total cases i.e. suspected + confirmed

5. Information for sentinel influenza was retrieved from the laboratory


Lassa Fever

Key points

• There were 87 suspected cases of Lassa Fever (LF) reported from 12 LGAs in 10 states (Edo – 55, Ondo – 13, Bauchi – 4, Plateau – 3, Adamawa – 1, Gombe – 1, Delta – 5, Oyo – 1, Lagos – 1 & Abia - 3). There were five confirmed cases and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• National Lassa Fever (LF) multi-partner, multi-sectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) continues to coordinate the response activities at all levels

• Lassa Fever treatment centres assessment visits to Bauchi, Taraba and Plateau states

• Implementation of targeted risk communication and enhanced surveillance activities in affected states

Planned:

• Conduct a meeting to finalise LF psychosocial guideline in November, 2019

• Review LF case management and surveillance tools and SOPs in November, 2019

• Implement rodent control measures in hotspot LGAs (Phase 2)


Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)

Key points

There were 26 suspected cases of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) reported from ten LGAs in six states (Adamawa – 1, Delta – 1, Katsina – 16, Plateau – 4, Sokoto – 3 & Yobe – 1). None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• The national CSM TWG meets weekly to review reports from states and plan appropriately

Planned:

• Continue harmonisation of the national line list and SORMAS data

• Conduct After Action Review

• Establish a mechanism for getting weekly feedback from states


Yellow Fever

Key points

There were 98 suspected cases of Yellow Fever (YF) reported from 71 LGAs in 19 states and FCT. There were ten laboratory confirmed cases and one death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• The multiagency Yellow Fever (YF) Incident Management System (IMS) has been de-activated to YF Technical Working Group to continue with the coordination of the response activities

• Following up with the new states with confirmed cases (Taraba and Plateau states)

• The NRL has commenced YF data entering in the YF database

Planned:

• Continue off-site support to all affected states

• Follow up with NPHCDA on the pre-implementation plans for yellow fever preventive/reactive mass vaccination campaigns in the implementing LGAs/states

• Scale up risk communication activities


Cholera

Key points

There were 15 suspected cases of Cholera reported from three LGAs in two states (Adamawa – 7 & Borno – 8). There were seven laboratory confirmed cases and no death was recorded

Actions

To date:

• National cholera multisectoral Technical Working Group (TWG) is monitoring all states and supporting already affected states

• Adamawa state EOC continues to coordinate response activities with support from partners

• NCDC in collaboration with John Hopkins University hosted a regional workshop on cholera genomic sequencing at the National Reference Laboratory, Gaduwa, Abuja from 7th – 15th October 2019

Planned:

• Follow up with states with active outbreak and monitor non-reporting states

• Participate in the activities of the World Toilet day and world Sanitation day led by the ministries of Environment and Water resources respectively


Measles

Key points

• There were 272 suspected cases of measles reported from 118 LGAs in 27 states and FCT. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded

Actions

To date

• The Measles TWG is closely monitoring surveillance data and response activities across the country

• The TWG is working closely with NPHCDA towards measles Supplemental Immunization Activity in Nigeria

Planned:

• Continue the review of measles surveillance data across the country

• Submit final draft of the measles guideline for editing

• Plan for review of Measles preparedness and response guideline in collaboration with NPHCDA and partners


Monkeypox

Key points

• There were thirteen suspected cases of monkeypox reported from four LGAs in three states (Akwa Ibom – 11, Rivers – 1 & Bayelsa - 1). There were three confirmed cases and no death was recorded

• One new health care worker was infected this week

Actions

To date:

• Rapid Response Team deployed to Akwa Ibom state to support surveillance and response activities

• Surveillance has been enhanced in all affected states

Planned

• Conduct regional monkeypox surveillance training in South East, South West and North Central in October and November 2019

• Disseminate reviewed Case Information Forms (CIF) to all states


Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)

Key points

• There were 110 suspected cases of AFP reported from 96 LGAs in 26 states and FCT. None was laboratory confirmed and no death was recorded


National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance

Key points

There were 67 processed samples positive for influenza, with 61 for influenza A, 5 for influenza B and 1 for influenza A & B


Timeliness and Completeness of Reports


Timeliness and Completeness of Reports by State

Highlight of the week

  • Summary of Incidents
  • Lassa Fever
  • Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM)
  • Yellow Fever
  • Cholera
  • Measles
  • Monkeypox
  • Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP)
  • National Influenza Sentinel Surveillance
  • Timeliness and Completeness of Reports
  • Timeliness and Completeness of Reports by State

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