Health

AT LEAST 5 PEOPLE, INCLUDING A BABY, DEAD AFTER TORNADOES HIT OKLAHOMA AND IOWA

Published

1 year ago

April 29, 2024

At least five deaths, including one of a 4-month-old child in Oklahoma, were confirmed Sunday from a severe storm that swept through the heartland, spawning multiple tornadoes across four states, including a powerful pair of twisters that touched down in Nebraska, officials said.

Emergency officials in Hughes County, Oklahoma, said the baby was one of four people killed in storms that struck Holdenville. One person died from storm-related injuries at a sports bar in Sulphur that was hit by a tornado, officials said. At least 30 people were injured in Sulphur, including 20 who were at the sports bar, according to officials.

Oklahoma Gov. J. Kevin Stitt confirmed Sunday afternoon that at least four people were killed in the storms that slammed his state.

One person was reported dead in Marietta, Oklahoma, and two people were killed in Ada, Oklahoma, Stitt said.

A state of emergency was declared in 12 Oklahoma counties, authorities said.

Sunday night, the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma, announced a preliminary determination of “at least” an EF3 tornado in Sulphur and also “at least” an EF3 in Marietta.

President Joe Biden spoke to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Sunday, according to the White House. The president offered the “full support of the federal government” after Saturday’s fatal tornadoes.

Gov. Governor Jim Pillen Sunday night issued an emergency declaration for Douglas, Lancaster and Washington Counties, making the eligible to “receive assistance funding through the state for recovery.”

Health

Benue: 107 Yelwata victims still in hospital – Govt official

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Benue State Government says at least 107 Yelwata victims were still receiving treatment at the Benue State Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.

The Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, James Iorpuu, said this during a news briefing in Makurdi on Tuesday.

Ekwutosblog reports that suspected bandits attacked and killed over 200 people in Yelwata community on June 13.

Iorpuu, who doubles as the Executive Secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, disclosed that the state had witnessed sustained, coordinated fatal attacks since 2011 by bandits.

“What happened in Yelwata had not happened anywhere in the world, should never happen again to any community,” he said.

Health

I Went to a Health Center in Abia, Got Free Medical Tests, Free Diagnosis, Free Drugs

Published

1 week ago

July 8, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

Because I have confidence in the standard of healthcare our government is providing in Umuahia South and Abia in general, I went to one of our health centers for treatment.

Test was done free and drugs were given free.

The new Abia is here.

Dr Alex Otti, we proud of you.

Enyinnaya Nwosu

Health

Nigeria records 145 Lassa fever deaths in 2025

Published

3 weeks ago

June 27, 2025

Ekwutos Blog

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has confirmed 145 deaths from Lassa fever in 2025 as the country continues to battle the viral hemorrhagic disease across 18 states.

According to the latest situation report released on Friday by the NCDC for epidemiological week 24 (June 9–15), Nigeria recorded 766 confirmed cases from 5,678 suspected infections.

The case fatality rate stood at 18.9 per cent, up from 17.6 per cent during the same period in 2024.

The agency said that the states most affected were Ondo, Bauchi, Edo, Taraba, and Ebonyi, which accounted for 91 per cent of the confirmed cases.

It said that Ondo alone contributed 31 per cent making it the epicentre of the outbreak.

In spite a decline in new confirmed cases — down to eight from 11 the previous week — the Nigerian public health agency said that health authorities remained concerned about the high fatality rate.

The agency said that this was driven by late presentation of cases, poor health-seeking behaviour, and unsanitary living conditions in high-burden communities.

According to it, efforts to contain the outbreak have included the deployment of Rapid Response Teams to 10 states, risk communication, environmental sanitation campaigns, and training of health workers in high-risk areas.

The NCDC also de-escalated its Incident Management System to alert mode while integrating Lassa fever messages into wider disease awareness campaigns.

The agency has appealed to the public to avoid contact with rodents and to seek prompt medical care at designated treatment centres at the first sign of symptoms such as fever, headache, or bleeding.

The agency continues to urge Nigerians to maintain hygiene, report symptoms early, and avoid contact with rodents and their secretions.

“The public is also encouraged to follow NCDC advisories and utilise the toll-free line 6232 for inquiries,” it said.

The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that Lassa fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with the urine or faeces of infected rats.

It can also spread from person to person through bodily fluids, contaminated objects, or infected medical equipment.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, muscle pain, and in severe cases, bleeding from the body openings.