The prompt response of the health authorities is commendable

Health authorities in the country are on the alert mode for Ebola in response to outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the disease has already claimed no fewer than 31 lives. This was heightened by a Nigerian lady who flew in from Rwanda, a neighbouring country to Congo, with fever and checked into an Abuja hospital. Fortunately, she tested negative for Ebola. The World Health Organisation (WHO) had earlier in September alerted the world to another outbreak of Ebola disease in the DRC, the 16th since the disease was identified in 1976. Aside from the number reported dead from the viral disease, many others were placed under surveillance in the central African nation.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention  (NCDC) had earlier confirmed that recent suspected cases of viral haemorrhagic fever in two different hospitals in Abuja have tested negative for Ebola and Marburg Virus. The FCT Mandate Secretary, Health and Human Services, Adedolapo Fasawe commended the patient who went straight to the hospital after arrival from Rwanda. We also commend the health authorities in Abuja for their swift and coordinated response to the alarm.

 Ebola is a deadly viral disease which kills victims within a week of infection, leaving little or no time for treatment. Essentially because it takes between two days to three weeks before the complete symptoms manifest. The disease has most of the symptoms of malaria: fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, etc. And the virus spreads through close contact with blood and bodily fluids of infected persons or animals such as fruit bats. 

 The outbreak of the disease in 2014 spread panic in the West African sub-region and led to the death of some 11,300 people mostly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. In Nigeria, Ebola also claimed eight lives, including Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh of the First Consultant Hospital, Lagos. The index case in Nigeria was a Liberian national who flew into the country with the virus and died in July 2014. There were no suspected cases in Abuja in 2014 as there were no confirmed cases in the country’s federal capital city. But Nigeria’s swift and coordinated efforts were instrumental to containing the virus as the WHO declared the country Ebola-free on 20 October 2014.

Since the Ebola viral disease is not indigenous to Nigeria, it could only be imported into the country through the borders: land, sea and airports. However, since there are no direct flights to Nigeria from the DRC, it is important that all passengers coming through our borders be thoroughly screened. The federal government did all this in 2014 by strengthening its response team and increasing surveillance at major points of entry into the country. Passengers were screened amid following up on individuals who had travelled from affected areas. Indeed, there was effective mobilisation of trained health workers in addition to widespread public awareness campaigns on containment measures against the disease. 

For these, the international community commended the federal government and health authorities in Lagos State for the adequate response in dealing with the deadly disease. The appropriateness of the response saved the lives of many Nigerians. The current Abuja response is therefore an indication that the lessons learnt from the earlier incidents are not lost. The hospital handled the case according to specified protocols. “We had a possible one case that we were determined would not spread further than that one case,” said Fasawe. “We had gone as far as to get the manifest on that airline; everybody she had had contact with before coming into this place… we are free.”  

 While the FCT response on this matter has been good, we urge health stakeholders in the country to remain vigilant.

The post GUARDING AGAINST EBOLA OUTBREAK appeared first on THISDAYLIVE.

​