The Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Sulaiman Alege, on Monday in Ilorin advised parents to vaccinate their children against cerebro spinal meningitis.
The commissioner told newsmen that vaccination was the most effective way of preventing the disease.
This was coming on the backdrop of predictions by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency that increase in temperature heralding the end of the rainy season could lead to incidences of meningitis.
Meningitis is a bacterial or viral infection that causes inflammation of spinal cord and brain.
Alege said: “Parent must always take their children for routine immunisation. Children under the age of five especially should be immunised to limit the risk of meningitis.”
Alege said the state government had been sensitising the public on how to prevent contracting meningitis.
He advised the people of Kwara State to always ensure proper ventilation of their homes and maintain personal hygienic.
According to him, meningitis spreads most easily in crowded and poorly ventilated areas.
He explained: “Staying in overcrowded and poorly ventilated rooms increases the risk of having an outbreak of meningitis.
“Keeping the homes properly ventilated is important to prevent an outbreak of meningitis, especially in homes where there are children because they are more susceptible.”
Alege urged people to visit a medical practitioner if they noticed symptoms like severe headaches, stiffness of the neck, and fever among others.
Alege reiterated the state government’s resolve to ensure that there was no outbreak of epidemic of any kind in the state.
R&D Health Meningitis: Commissioner tasks parents on routine immunisation
