Datelinehealth Africa Sponsors Lumo Initiative School Outreach on Lassa Fever Awareness and Prevention in Nigeria

A selection of students, school and LI staff posing for group photograph on school grounds. Click on image to enlarge.

September 26, 2025, Makurdi, Nigeria: As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Datelinehealth Africa Inc., a Delaware, USA based non-profit and trusted ally for Africa-wide health and wellness promotion, disease prevention, education and infrastructural development facilitation, partnered with and sponsored a School Outreach programme carried out by Lumo Initiative, a Nigeria based Health Education and Advocacy Charity founded by Ms. Chinonso Ukah, a Registered Nurse, Midwife and Public Health Specialist.

LI conducted the outreach to raise awareness about Lassa Fever prevention and early detection. Lassa fever is a life-threatening disease caused by a virus. The disease is of high public health concern with often fatal and frequent sporadic outbreaks in many areas of Nigeria and West African countries.  Lassa fever is contracted from ingestion of food contaminated by the urine or  the feaces of the multimammate rat and is also transmitted via human to human contact.

Lassa fever is eminently preventable through community health education and behaviour change advocacy, hence the objective of the school outreach programme.

The programme targeted both students and teachers to build knowledge and promote safer practices within the school and home environment.

Below is a report of the outreach from Lumo Initiative with some phots and videos.

REPORT

Programme Topic: Lassa Fever Awareness Campaign
 

Venue: Prestige International Science and Technical Schools, Mixed Secondary School (Boarding & Day), Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Date: 26th September, 2025

Objectives

• To educate students and staff on the causes, symptoms, and prevention of Lassa Fever.
• To demonstrate practical disease prevention methods.
• To strengthen hygiene practices in school and at home.

Activities Conducted

• Health talk on Lassa Fever causes, symptoms, and prevention.
• Practical demonstrations: proper hand hygiene, safe food storage practices, and use of rat traps for rodent control.
• Distribution of posters in classrooms and dormitories to serve as continuous reminders.
• Interactive Q & A session with students and teachers.

Audience Reached

• Students: 180 (boarding and day combined)
• Teachers/Staff: 3 (including the school principal)

Key Messages Delivered

• Lassa Fever is transmitted through contact with food/surfaces contaminated by rats.
• Symptoms include fever, headache, sore throat, vomiting, and body weakness.
• Prevention: frequent handwashing, proper food storage, avoid eating rats and rodent control.
• Return demonstration by students

Feedback & Engagement

• Students actively participated during the demonstrations and showed interest in applying prevention measures.
• Teachers, including the principal, commended the campaign and emphasized the importance of sustained awareness.

Outcomes

• Improved awareness among 180 students and 3 teachers.
• Students pledged to practice hand hygiene and safe food storage.
• Posters left behind will ensure long-term reinforcement of prevention messages.

Challenges encountered

• Limited time for detailed small-group discussions.

Photos and Video

Panoramic view of some students attending the Lumo Initiative (LI) School Outreach programme in Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria. The outreach was sponsored by Datelinehealth Africa. Click on image to enlarge.

Another panoramic view of students attending the LI School Outreach programme in Makurdi, Benue State Nigeria. Click on image to enlarge.

Members of Lumo Initiative posing together during school outreach on Lassa fever in Markurdi, Benue State, Nigeria. Click on image to enlarge.

Lumo Initiative Founder. Ms. Cynthia Ukah conducting a post-outreach interview with one of the student attendees. Click to view video.

Info-posters used at the school outreach 

Info-poster: How to stop catching Lassa Fever. Click on image to enlarge.

Info-poster: How to know if you have Lassa Fever. Click on image to enlarge.

Published: November 29, 2025

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