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Fatalities rise six years after NCDC declared emergency on Lassa fever.
On January 22, 2019, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control declared Lassa fever a public health emergency, following a spike in confirmed cases and rising fatalities across several states.
The designation, which should have marked a turning point in the country’s handling of the viral haemorrhagic fever, came with expectations, with many Nigerians hoping that such classification would trigger swift, coordinated national action, backed by sustained political will and funding.
Many had hoped that the emergency classification would move Lassa fever out of the shadows and place it firmly on the front burner of national health priorities.
But six years later, findings by PUNCH Healthwise reveal that Lassa fever, far from being controlled, remains entrenched and deadly.
The virus has become an annual visitor, recurring with ruthless consistency, especially during Nigeria’s dry season. Yet, the government’s response continues to be sluggish, underfunded, and mostly reactive.
In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 700 confirmed cases and more than 140 deaths across 18 states within just the first half of the year.
Our correspondent observed that what was supposed to be the beginning of a coordinated, data-driven, and well-funded national strategy has instead become a case study of missed opportunities, fragmented interventions, and policy fatigue
On January 22, 2019, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control declared Lassa fever a public health emergency, following a spike in confirmed cases and rising fatalities across several states.
The designation, which should have marked a turning point in the country’s handling of the viral haemorrhagic fever, came with expectations, with many Nigerians hoping that such classification would trigger swift, coordinated national action, backed by sustained political will and funding.
Many had hoped that the emergency classification would move Lassa fever out of the shadows and place it firmly on the front burner of national health priorities.
But six years later, findings by PUNCH Healthwise reveal that Lassa fever, far from being controlled, remains entrenched and deadly.
The virus has become an annual visitor, recurring with ruthless consistency, especially during Nigeria’s dry season. Yet, the government’s response continues to be sluggish, underfunded, and mostly reactive.
In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 700 confirmed cases and more than 140 deaths across 18 states within just the first half of the year.
Our correspondent observed that what was supposed to be the beginning of a coordinated, data-driven, and well-funded national strategy has instead become a case study of missed opportunities, fragmented interventions, and policy fatigue
Fatalities rise six years after NCDC declared emergency on Lassa fever.
On January 22, 2019, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control declared Lassa fever a public health emergency, following a spike in confirmed cases and rising fatalities across several states.
The designation, which should have marked a turning point in the country’s handling of the viral haemorrhagic fever, came with expectations, with many Nigerians hoping that such classification would trigger swift, coordinated national action, backed by sustained political will and funding.
Many had hoped that the emergency classification would move Lassa fever out of the shadows and place it firmly on the front burner of national health priorities.
But six years later, findings by PUNCH Healthwise reveal that Lassa fever, far from being controlled, remains entrenched and deadly.
The virus has become an annual visitor, recurring with ruthless consistency, especially during Nigeria’s dry season. Yet, the government’s response continues to be sluggish, underfunded, and mostly reactive.
In 2025 alone, Nigeria recorded over 700 confirmed cases and more than 140 deaths across 18 states within just the first half of the year.
Our correspondent observed that what was supposed to be the beginning of a coordinated, data-driven, and well-funded national strategy has instead become a case study of missed opportunities, fragmented interventions, and policy fatigue
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