Nigeria Now Free of Ebola

Nigeria was officially declared free of Ebola on Monday 20th day of October 2014 by the World Healh Organization (WHO). The declaration was made after the period of 42 days during which no new cases of the virus was recorded. WHO Representative in Nigeria, Rui Gama Vaz  said that the "the virus is gone for now. The outbreak in Nigeria has been defeated". Senegal had earlier on Friday October 17, 2014 declared free of the disease.

The first case of Ebola n Nigeria was announced on July 26, 2014. The period between the first case and the WHO clearance is 86 days. Simple arithmetic shows that it took Nigeria 44 days to contain the spread of the deadly virus. During the 44 days, eight people, including Patrick Sawyer who imported the virus, died. Twenty cases were confirmed while nine hundred were monitored.

Senegal and Nigeria should be commended. It would have been disastrous had it been that Nigeria of about 170 million was overwhelmed by the Ebola. The world needs to note the steps adopted by Nigeria to contain the disease. These are:

• Prompt isolation of confirmed cases.
• Acquisition of related health equipments
• Rapid response to information on suspected cases.
• Stringent screening checks at the entry points into the country.
• Contact tracing.
• Training of health personnel.
• Public enlightenment through media, religious bodies, associations, markets and schools.
• Provision of funds.
• Public hygienic practices.
• Partnership with international health organizations.

It should be reemphasized that the world is now a global village. What started in West Africa has spread to Europe and America. The World would be better for it if it adopts the Nigeria method and go further to develop vaccines that would cure the virus.

Ebola Spreading To Europe And America

According to the CNN news of October 8, 2014 a man called Thomas Eric Duncan who had been diagnosed with the deadly virus died early in the morning before the news was broken by the CNN. He died at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. The same report stated that eight cases of Ebola had been confirmed in Europe.

The statistics show one case in the United Kingdom, one case in France, two cases in Germany and three cases in Spain. A Norwegian is also affected. The Norwegian is a staffer with Doctors without Borders.

The spread of the Ebola Virus in Europe and America underlines the appropriateness of the point raised in the last posting in my blog which emphasized the need for a global unity in the fight against the Ebola scourge. It is clear now that Ebola Virus Disease is not a respecter of any  Nation - developing or developed.  The World should therefore wake up and work together not only to prevent and contain but to also develop drugs against the dreaded virus. VERY URGENT!