Residents of Otodo-Gbame Community in Ikate,
Lekki, Lagos State, are battling to save their
children from a vaccine preventable disease which
has claimed the lives of no fewer than 25 children
in the area.
Punch Metro learnt that the yet-to-be-identified
disease, which started in January 2016, has brought
panic to the predominantly Egun community, as
the affected children developed rashes similar to
measles, and usually died two to three days after.
Punch correspondent gathered that some families,
most of whom work as fishermen and fish sellers,
lost two to three children each while the disease
ravaged the area in January and first week of
February.
When Punch Metro visited the area on Monday, it
was learnt that health workers from the Eti-Osa
Local Government Area had visited the community
last Wednesday and had started immunisation for
children.
Punch correspondent learnt that two children,
however, died in the presence of the health
workers while the immunisation was being
administered.
Speaking with Punch Metro , a woman, Anago
Benedict, who lost three of her children to the
disease, and gave their names as Taiye, Kehinde
and Jisine, said apart from the rashes on their
bodies, they also vomited blood before they died.
She said, “My children fell sick in the first week of
February. The disease is ravaging our area, and we
did not have anyone to run to.
“My children were killed by the disease. They were
vomiting blood. I did not know what name to call
the disease.”
Another woman, Stella Paul, who is the mother of
one of the two children that died on Wednesday,
said the girl was ill for only two days.
She said, “Her name was Esther. She was two years
old. She died on Wednesday in the presence of the
health workers. She was sick for only two days. I
have three children. Esther was the youngest.
Emmanuel is the first.”
Another resident, Atuku Daddy, who lost his niece,
Kehinde Petito, urged the government to provide
health care facilities in the community, as they
lacked any government hospital.
He said, “The girl was two years old. She died on
February 8. She was ill for just three days, and she
was rushed to the hospital, where she died.
“In the night, she could not sleep. Some of the
symptoms we saw were swollen private parts and
high temperature. We call it Ina oru. In the
afternoon, she would play, but in the evening, her
body would become hot.
“I work as a fisherman, and I was born in this
community. Nothing of such had happened in our
area before now. Our grandfathers usually told us
that there had not been any epidemic. But since
January, many children had died in our area from
the disease.
“A family lost up to three children to the disease.
That is why we appeal to the state government to
give us a hospital. Since the immunisation started
last Wednesday, the rate of contracting the disease
is getting minimal.”
Kehinde’s grandmother, Bose Petito, who works as
a cleaner in a private school in Lekki Phase 1, said,
“I have taken her twin brother for vaccination.
They also gave him drugs to use. The signs of the
disease are on him too, but they are not serious. It
was sad to lose her, but we are fine now. The
mother has gone to work.”
Punch correspondent also observed the rashes on
Taiye’s legs and stomach during the interview.
A resident, who identified himself only as Jonathan,
said the health workers collected the water and
food samples of the residents to find out the cause
of the disease.
Jonathan added that residents had raised the alarm
since January, but help did not come on time.
He said, “Between January and February 2016, we
had deaths of many children. They would have a
brief illness and they would die.
“So far in February, we have had about 20
children who died. When the health workers came,
they took our water and food samples to the
laboratory for tests, but I do not know what they
found out.
“We raised the alarm when these deaths started,
but no one came to our rescue. Since Wednesday,
people have been turning out for the
immunisation.”
However, the state Ministry of Health said it had
sent epidemiologists to the community to verify the
outbreak.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Mrs. Adeola Salako,
said the blood samples and other body fluids of
children with suspected cases had been collected
for examination.
She said, “An epidemiological investigation, led by
the state epidemiologists from the Ministry of
Health, commenced on Wesdnesday, February 10.
‘The investigation is meant to verify the assertions
and the cause of deaths through laboratory
investigation of water, throat swabs and blood
samples of children with suspected cases and to
proffer solutions.
“It is worthy of note that no further death has
been recorded since then.”
