By Isa Abdul

Benue state buried one of its health workers, late Dr Vitalis Tersoo Azever, on Sunday, as a result of lasser fever virus infection.

His body was laid to rest at his home town in Kwande local government area of Benue State

Benue Ministry of Health and Human Services officials said the Safe burial team carried out the burial in line with burial protocols of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

Dr Azever died at the University of Jos University Teaching after contracting the disease in the course of duty in Benue.

Epidemiologist of the state, Dr Asema Msuega, confirmed this on Galaxy TV News, saying out of 63 positive cases so far, 15 have died, while 15 health workers were affected including 7 doctors, 4 nurses, 1 pharmacist, and 2 community health extension workers (CHEWs) as well as a hospital portal..

Dr Msuega, further confirmed that out of the 15 health workers who contracted lassa fever, three have died. He warned residents to observe all protocols of cleanliness at home and in food consumption.

The epidemiologist warned Benue residents to be careful as the hemorrhagic illness is caused by lassa virus by multimamate rat through contamination of food and items by its urine or faeces. He urged the people to report to the hospital when they notice any signs and symptoms of the disease.

Google is asking for permission to release millions of sterilized mosquitoes in order to fight their disease-spreading counterparts

Through its parent company, Alphabet, Google wants U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approval to release up to 32 million mosquitoes in California and Florida. That might sound apocalyptic, but the request is part of the tech giant’s Debug program to eliminate disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Mosquitoes are the world’s deadliest animal. They spread malaria, dengue fever, West Nile virus and other fatal diseases to millions of people each year. The Debug project wants to tackle this issue by releasing male mosquitoes—which don’t bite or carry disease—to stop these “bad mosquitoes,” like Aedes aegypti.

The “good” bugs will be infected with a naturally occurring bacteria called Wolbachia, which will make them sterile. When one of these males tries to mate with a “bad” female, the eggs won’t hatch. “Over time, there will be fewer and fewer bad mosquitoes,” per the program’s website.

This approach isn’t unique—it’s a known method called the sterile insect technique, and has been used in the United States for more than 60 years.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, it’s an environmentally friendly insect pest control method that has been successful in controlling pests like fruit flies, screwworms and moths.

“It’s really a genius technique that has been used to completely eradicate or reduce numbers of serious pests and vectors,” says Chris Grinter, an entomologist at the California Academy of Sciences, to Matthew Brown at SFGate.

Did you know? Mosquitoes have been biting humans for more than one million years

A study published in the journal Scientific Reports in February 2026 found that the Anopheles leucosphyrus group of mosquitoes, in Southeast Asia, evolved a taste for human blood between 1.6 million and 2.9 million years ago, which is much earlier than previously thought.
It’s also not Debug’s first attempt at this. Verily, formerly an Alphabet subsidiary and an early driver behind the project, released millions of sterilized males in California in 2017. The project is also seeing success in Singapore, where it has supported the National Environment Agency’s Project Wolbachia since 2018. In a May 2026 blog post, Debug says Project Wolbachia has “achieved 80-90 percent suppression” of the Aedes aegypti mosquito population and “more than 70 percent reduction in dengue incidents after 6 to 12 months of releases.”

Aedes aegypti, the mosquito targeted by the program, is not native to California or Florida, so no animals rely on it for food. “If Google began to target native mosquito species, then I would be concerned with cascading environmental consequences,” explains Nathan Burkett-Cadena, an ecologist at the University of Florida, to Carla Bleiker at DW.

Still, some experts have raised concerns about the ethical implications of mosquito eradication. “If we were to intentionally set out to cause the extinction of a species, we should think about that,” said Henry Greely, a Stanford law professor and bioethicist, to Jerry Adler at Smithsonian in 2016. “I would want there to be some consideration and reflection, and a social consensus, before we take that step.”

Others, however, believe humans have a responsibility to control their numbers. “The thing is, Aedes aegypti is a species that we have caused to spread,” says Matthew DeGennaro, a neurogeneticist at Florida International University, to DW. “They have followed us around the world. They’re like the cockroaches or rats of the mosquito world. If the climate is right and humans are there, you’ll find Aedes aegypti. So we have an obligation to control them.”

Google’s timeline for the release of the mosquitoes is still unclear. A notice from the federal register shows that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing the company’s request and accepting public comments until June 5.

Terkura Vande in Makurdi

The Benue State Government has flagged off the May–June 2026 Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) Week, just as it has reaffirmed its commitment to improving maternal and child health outcomes across the state.

It also stated that the initiative aligns with the healthcare transformation agenda and the vision of the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, whose administration has consistently prioritized the strengthening of primary healthcare systems, improved access to quality healthcare services, and the reduction of preventable maternal and child deaths across the state.

Performing the flag-off ceremony at the Family Support Programme, FSP, clinic, Makurdi, the State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ogwuche, stated that the programme is a critical intervention aimed at improving access to life-saving healthcare services for women and children across the state.

Represented by Dr Cephas Hough, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Ogwuche, noted that the activity which runs for a whole week, is designed to deliver integrated health services to mothers, newborns, and children, particularly those in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.

He emphasized that maternal and child health remains a key indicator of societal development and called for sustained collective action to address preventable deaths resulting from pregnancy-related complications and childhood illnesses.

According to him, “Every mother deserves quality healthcare before, during, and after childbirth, while every child deserves the opportunity to survive, grow, and reach their full potential.

“This MNCH week provides an opportunity to intensify interventions that will safeguard the lives of mothers and children throughout Benue state.”

He informed that during the exercise, pregnant women would receive focused antenatal care services, micronutrient supplementation, health education, and counseling, while children would benefit from routine immunization, Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, nutrition screening, and other essential child survival interventions.

Other services to be provided during the week include HIV testing and counseling, distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Nets (LLINs), birth registration services, newborn care interventions, family planning counseling, malaria prevention education, and promotion of proper hygiene practices.

The Commissioner urged mothers, fathers, caregivers, and community leaders to actively participate in the programme and encourage community members to take advantage of the free health services being offered throughout the exercise.

Dr Ogwuche further acknowledged development partners and donor agencies, for their continued support to the health sector and called for stronger collaboration to expand healthcare coverage and improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations.

While Dr Ogwuche, called on stakeholders to work collectively towards reducing preventable maternal and child deaths, he reiterated the commitment of the ministry to sustaining interventions that improve maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes.

The programme brought together officials of the Benue State Primary Health Care Board, development partners, healthcare professionals, traditional and religious leaders, community representatives, mothers, caregivers, and other stakeholders in the health sector.