Nigeria Has Contained Ebola – Minister

The federal government has treated and discharged two more victims of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) who have been undergoing treatment since they were infected by the Liberian-American, Mr Patrick Sawyer. The minister of health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, stated this at a joint ministerial press briefing attended by the minister of information, Mr Labaran Maku, yesterday. ‘Two of the treated patients, a male doctor and a female nurse, were discharged yesterday evening, August 25, 2014, having satisfied the criteria for discharge. ‘They might be healthier than you and me. They have been tested and declared Ebola-free, but you and I have not been tested. They are the safest people you and I can associate with,” the health minister said. It would be recalled that Nigeria had reported 13 cases of Ebola of which five died. However, seven of the infected persons have successfully been managed and discharged from hospitals. Chukwu said, “As I speak to you, Nigeria has only one confirmed case of EVD, a secondary contact of Mr Patrick Sawyer and spouse of one of the physicians who participated in the management of the index case. She is stable but still on treatment at the isolation ward in Lagos.” The minister said that, so far, all the reported cases of EVD in Nigeria had their root in the index case and that it had been restricted to only one city – Lagos, which according to him, “is an indication, thus far that Nigeria has contained the disease outbreak.” He added that of the 128 persons still under surveillance, one person has been reported symptomatic and laboratory tests are being carried out to determine the state of health. “I want to commend government offices and private companies who have introduced the use of water and soap and hand sanitizers for public use at their offices,” he said. ‘N1.9b Was Federal Ministry Of Health’s Budget Not Ebola Fund’ The health minister also used the occasion to clear issues on why states have not received money from the N1.9 billion Ebola Intervention Fund. He disclosed that the N1.9 billion was for the Federal Ministry of Health, saying, “ Those things the ministry could handle based on its budget. It is for the ministry and its agencies, not an Ebola fund.” Chukwu explained further, “Now in the case of Lagos State that received N200million, after the meeting with commissioners of health and the president, it was clear that Lagos was under pressure because many of the workers used in this ongoing fight against Ebola are from Lagos State. “So Lagos State, too, needs money. They pay these staffers and provide some incentives; they even provided the isolation wards but we laid the foundation of how to work there,” he said. He said that he made recommendations following the president’s request that more money be made available for Lagos State different from the N1.9 billion. But Schools resume October 13 The federal government yesterday suspended the resumption of both public and private primary and secondary schools in the country till October 13, 2014. Minister of education Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau stated this when he briefed journalists after meeting with states’ commissioners of education to discuss the risk posed by the dreaded Ebola virus disease in the education sector. The minister said the change in the resumption date would ensure adequate preventive measures are put in place before the students report back to school. The minister said: “All primary and secondary schools, both public and private are to remain closed until Monday, 13th October, 2014, which is the new school resumption date for all schools throughout the federation. This is to ensure that adequate preventive measures are put in place before the students report back to school. “ All state ministries of education are to immediately organize and ensure that at least two staff in each school, both public and private, are trained by appropriate health workers on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and also embark on immediate sensitization of all teaching and non-teaching staff in all schools on preventive measures. This training of staff must be concluded not later than 15th September, 2014.” He further directed: “ All state ministries of education should establish a working and monitoring team for effective supervision of school activities before and after opening of schools. Each state ministry of education should appoint a designated desk officer not later than 1st September, 2014, who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on daily basis to the honourable commissioner on situation in the schools. The names of such desk officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education not later than 1st September, 2014. “All primary and secondary schools, both public and private, should be provided with a minimum of two (2) blood pressure measuring equipment by the state ministries of education. The state ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education not later than 1st SWeptember. [They] will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment are procured.” He stressed that all the above measures also apply in all federal government colleges. He therefore directed that all ongoing summer schools in both public and private schools be suspended with immediate effect: “All private primary and secondary schools must comply with the directives given under these preventive measures. State governments are called upon to support their state ministries of education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of these preventive measures.” The federal government also directed all states government to sanction any private or public school that doesn’t comply with the directives. He reiterated the commitment of the federal government in ensuring the safety of all the children in both public and private schools in the country. “Our concern is for the children and we would go to any length to ensure both private and public schools comply. You can imagine if a child is infected in a boarding school of say about 600 children; it would be very dangerous. We are not saying there is Ebola in all states of the federation, but we are putting some preventive measures in place,” the minister said.