Nigeria: NCDC, NMA Join Forces to Protect Healthcare Workers Amid Rising Lassa Fever Cases

11 March 2026
Leadership (Abuja)
By Patience Ivie Ihejirika

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) have strengthened their collaboration to curb the rising cases of Lassa fever in Nigeria, with a focus on protecting healthcare workers and enhancing clinical vigilance nationwide.

The strategic engagement, convened by NCDC director-general, Dr Jide Idris, brought together leaders from both institutions to review the current epidemiological trends and discuss measures to safeguard frontline health workers, who are at increased risk during the ongoing Lassa fever transmission season.

As part of the meeting, NCDC and NMA jointly issued a national advisory urging doctors and healthcare professionals to:

Maintain a high index of suspicion for Lassa fever in patients presenting with febrile illnesses.

The advisory aligns with NCDC's 30-day national IPC action plan, designed to reduce infections among healthcare workers and strengthen infection prevention practices, particularly in high-burden states.

Both institutions emphasised their commitment to working together to bolster Nigeria's outbreak response, protect healthcare workers, and enhance health security nationwide.

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