Tetanus is an uncommon disease in developed countries, in the United States for instance, there is only an average of 30 reported cases each year. Reverse is the case here in Nigeria, as the deadly disease still claim lots of lives in annual reports.
Tetanus is a serious bacterial infection that affects the nervous system and causes muscles throughout the body to tighten. It’s also called lockjaw because the infection often causes muscle contractions in the jaw and neck. However, it can eventually spread to other parts of the body.
Tetanus is different from other vaccine-preventable diseases because it does not spread from person to person. The bacteria are usually found in soil, dust, and manure and enter the body through breaks in the skin — usually cuts or puncture wounds caused by contaminated objects.
According to the Association of Medical Students, University of Lagos, the number of Tetanus cases in the wards at the Teaching hospital is on the increase on a daily basis.
In a bid to ensure that there is an end to this lethal disease in the society, a non-governmental organization - The Nigerian Child Initiative, by partnering with the NobleHeart Children Foundation and Association of Medical Students Unilag, have organized a campaign to End Tetanus.
The campaign is geared towards creating more awareness for the need to be vaccinated against Tetanus, educating the public about the dangers of the disease and actually getting people vaccinated against it.
The program, a health outreach, is set to hold on Saturday, 14th October 2017. A morning awareness walk would preceed the main event of vaccination, at idi-Araba area of Lagos state.
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