Following the recent outbreak of the deadly Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Nigerian government has embarked on emergency Surveillance activities at all land and airport borders to keep the country safe from the epidemic.
The nation’s minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewale told news men today, Wednesday, shortly after the weekly meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, that FEC directed the federal ministry of health which he heads, to sart emergency surveillance activities at all land and airport borders, “so that we can actually keep Nigerians safe.”
He said that the government is greatly concern about the outbreak of the disease in DR Congo, recalling that over the last one month, DRC had recorded 19 suspected cases of viral hemorrhagic fever and lost 16 of the cases.
“But, what is also particularly important was that on Monday, blood samples from five patients in the DRC, particularly in a particular district in DRC, two of the five cases, Ebola was actually confirmed.”
Professor Adewale said that following the directive by the FEC, his ministry will hasten action to set up an emergency operation center which will be chaired by Dr. Babasanya, who actually led Nigeria’s efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone and Guinea during the outbreak in 2014.
“Not only that, we will be screening incoming passengers, particularly passengers from DRC and neigbouring countries and will also ensure we step up all activities of screening people coming in so that we will not be caught unawares.
“Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC) will also consider sending some team to DRC as part of building capacity for managing the outbreak. We want to assure Nigerians that the federal government is concerned about the outbreak and will do everything possible to keep the country safe.”
The minister said that at the FEC, he updated members on the state of public health in Nigeria and that that he reported on the situation with Lassa fever.
“We are declaring the emergency phase of Lassa fever outbreak over. Essentially, that implies that the emergency operating center would be stood down but that instead of meeting everyday throughout the country, they will now meet once a week.
“They will still continue surveillance so that if there are cases anywhere in the country we can quickly dictate it and then treat it appropriately.”
On the strike by medical personnel in the health sector, Professor Adewale said that negotiations are still on with Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and that the minister of labour is leading the negotiation.
“We expect that we will conclude on all issues very soon.” [myad]
