Govt to sustain preventative measures against Ebola

Lagos - Medical experts on Tuesday advised
Nigerians and government at all levels to sustain
the preventive measures put in place to combat
the spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
They gave the advice in an interview with the
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos against
the background of the World Health Organisation
(WHO) declaration that Nigeria had to some
extend contained the virus.
WHO says: "The outbreaks in Senegal and Nigeria
are pretty much contained."
NAN also reports that the Federal Ministry of
Health reported that there has not been any new
case of EVD in the last 15 days.
"Since the outbreak of the disease, Nigeria
recorded 19 confirmed cases (15 in Lagos and 4
in Port Harcourt) and seven deaths," it said.
In his comment, Prof. Oyewale Tomori, a
virologist with WHO, advised Nigerians to sustain
the hand cleaning routine as Nigeria was not yet
totally free of EVD.
"I really commend the Federal and State
Governments for their efforts in curbing Ebola
virus in the country, but we have to sustain those
efforts.
"So long there are still cases of Ebola virus in our
neighbouring countries - Guinea, Sierra Leone and
Liberia - we are not out of the woods yet because
another Patrick Sawyer can still come into the
country.
"Nigerians should not also relax. We have to
continue to practice proper hygiene, especially
hand cleaning in everything we do,’" he advised.
Also, Dr Dan Onwujekwe, a public health expert
with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research
(NIMR), Yaba, urged Nigerians to see regular
hand cleaning routine as a way of life.
Onwujekwe said that hand cleaning routine was
not for the prevention of EVD, but for the
prevention of other infectious diseases.
"We lay emphasis on hand washing hygiene
because the hand is the most active part of
human body. It goes round and can carry viral
organisms around and into the body.
"Government at all levels should also intensify
awareness and promotion of regular hand
washing as the number one strategy.
"Proper hand washing is very important in that it
is able to inactivate viral organisms,’’ he said.
In his remark, Dr Bamidele Oke, another virologist,
who works with NIMR, said that there was still
risk of cross-border transmission from the high
risk countries.
"While some people are still on surveillance in
Port-Harcourt, and we have not had new cases in
recent days, we should not relent in monitoring
and surveillance of the disease.
"Moreover, Ebola virus was imported to Nigeria
and it is not endemic.
"We still need to maintain strict surveillance at
our borders because there are still cases of Ebola
virus in other neighbouring countries," he said.
Another expert, Dr Philip Oshun, Head, Ebola
Response Team, Lagos University Teaching
Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, urged Nigerians to
continue to maintain strict hygiene practices to
fight against any infectious disease.
"Although, there are no new known cases of Ebola
virus, there are, however, contacts in Port
Harcourt still under surveillance.
"Nigerians should continue to take precaution and
not be pre-emptive in thinking that the threat has
been eliminated," he said.
NAN reports that the Lagos State Government
had on Friday said the last suspected case of the
EVD in the state had been cleared having tested
negative after surveillance.