The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to investigate and contain the spread of an unidentified disease that has claimed lives in Nafada Local Government Area of Gombe State.
During the plenary session on Tuesday, the House urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to deploy personnel to verify the nature of the disease.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention was also tasked with implementing surveillance measures to contain its spread and provide treatment to affected victims.
The resolution followed a motion by Aboullahi El-Rasheed, the representative for Dukku/Nafada Federal Constituency in Gombe State, who stated the rapid spread of the disease and its impact on communities.
El-Rasheed described symptoms such as severe headache, stomach pain, vomiting, smelly stool, leg pain, and overall body pain leading to untimely deaths among youths and children in affected areas.
Despite testing negative for Cerebrospinal Meningitis, the disease remains undiagnosed by health authorities and medical experts in Gombe State.
However, it was gathered that the Gombe State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has deployed additional health personnel to Nafada General Hospital to contain the disease and provide medical attention to affected victims.
The House expressed concern over the potential disruption of business and school activities, with about 30 deaths reported as of February 26, 2024.
The lawmakers also warned of the possibility of the disease spreading to neighboring communities if not effectively managed.
The committees on Healthcare Services and Legislative Compliance were tasked with ensuring compliance with the resolution.