Wondering whether anything good can come out of Nigeria? Inquest to the World Health Organisation, which has formally declared Nigeria Ebola-free, will hold some conviction, writes SAM NWOKORO.
Before that date, Nigeria had impressed the world and agencies concerned with the way it contained the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) imported into the country by a Liberian, Patrick Sawyer.
That Monday, the World Health Organisation (WHO) formally declared Nigeria an Ebola-free country, implying, as it were, that Nigeria sets the pace in rising to UN’s orders for nations of the world to implement immediate and effective health crises containment mechanism to check the spread of Ebola from stinging people further.
The EVD, which first case was reported in 1976, hit the world hard in the beginning of this year. The contagious nature of the disease – through body fluids – was such that the only remedy to it is not to contract it at all.
The EVD never gave the science community any breathing space to tinker about therapy or curative drugs before it started decimating its victims. Thus the world, through the WHO, had no option than to declare a global health emergency, mandating member nations to execute the “emergency war” of checking the rampaging spread of the epidemic with utmost alacrity.
Nigeria, for once, despite the physical war it is waging against terrorism, rose to the challenge, and effectively checkmated the virus.
Dreadful epidemic
The panic triggered by the Ebola outbreak underscored its threat to humanity. It deflected for some weeks Nigeria’s concern over insurgency in the North East part of the country. The federal government joined the Lagos State government to release funds to fight the epidemic brought in by Sawyer.
From the airports in Monrovia through Nigeria’s Lagos airport, Sawyer dispersed the virus. He ended up at First Consultant Hospital, Obalende, Lagos, where he died. He did not die alone; he took along four medical personnel working at the facility, including Dr. Stella Adadevoh and a nurse, Justina Ejelonu.
Quarantine centres and other emergency facilities for detection and identification were erected across the nation. Immigration posts in the country, for the first time, demonstrated alertness. For one, Nigeria’s most accused corrupt bureaucracy demonstrated patriotism. The result was that Nigeria, which ‘received’ the virus carrier, Sawyer, contained the spread admirably to the consternation of the whole world.
This never-seen-before achievement is, no doubt, responsible for the accolade the Nigerian government has been receiving in the past one month since WHO acknowledged that Nigeria has successfully contained the virus.
The United States of America, one country that leads in medical technology, even got alarmed at the plague. U.S. committed $1 billion and authorised 3,000 soldiers to go to the worst hit regions in Africa: Liberia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. Help from other countries include Cuba and China all began streaming into West Africa as at early October.
Curious figures
While the epidemic lasted, Nigeria recorded 19 cases, with only seven deaths, despite that initially it looked as if the country would be ‘defeated’ by the epidemic. As of Wednesday, October 22, about 9,964 suspected cases resulting in the deaths of 4,881 have been reported all over the world.
On Thursday, October 23, a physician who recently returned to New York from West Africa has tested positive for the disease, officials announced.
Craig Spencer, 33, a doctor who lives in the Harlem neighbourhood of the city, was taken to hospital in New York on Thursday after displaying symptoms consistent with those caused by Ebola, including a fever of 100.30F (380C) – lower than the 1030F (39.50C) that was initially reported by health officials.
WHO has acknowledged that its official figure probably undercount Ebola’s actual outbreak by a factor of two or three, so that actual number of deaths could be approaching 10,000. Roughly 40 per cent of those sickened by Ebola in West Africa have come down with the disease within the past three weeks, one report said.
As at September, a top U.S. government official with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Tom Frieden, warned that: “Ebola could spread to more than a million people over the next four months if immediate, aggressive and sustained action is not taken by the world’s countries.”
Between 550,000 and 1.4 million people in West Africa would fall ill of Ebola by late January 2015 if the infection rate stays the same as it was in August, according to a projection model released by the CDC.
Showing the way
Basking in the accolade Nigeria has received, some African countries still battling to contain the spread have been approaching Nigeria to learn from her strategy.
Lagos, which showed exemplary efficiency in containing the spread, has already sent a batch of her expert health officials to Sierra Leone to help the poor country contain the spread. The governor, Babatunde Fashola, has also said his administration is establishing disease infection monitoring and control units in all its health facilities, equipping them with latest cutting edge detection machines.
Obviously, the environmental challenges of Nigeria, especially in the highly populated cities, accounted for why it surprised WHO that Nigeria was able to effectively contain the spread within a short time.
Political advantage
In advanced democracies, efficient execution of public policy works add points to the electoral value of public officers and ruling parties. Since Nigeria got the global endorsement, opposition and ruling political parties have been scoring political points with it.
However, what the world is happy with is that the risk of Ebola spread in Nigeria is remote, unless authorities relax the initial vigilance they exhibited in containing the virus.
The endorsement from WHO also means that investors wanting to do business in Nigeria are not going to be afraid of contracting anything resembling Ebola virus, since a reputable body like WHO, after all forensic verifications, has given Nigeria a clean bill of health.
Thumbs up
Many Nigerians and organisations have been applauding the Nigerian governments for the feat.
Ndigbo Cultural Society of Nigeria (NCSN), while congratulating all Nigerians, gave special thanks to God for saving the country from disaster.
NCSN President, Udoka Udeogaranya, in a statement hailed Jonathan and Fashola for the dogged way they handled the issue. Health workers who were in the thick of it were also not left out.
“We also commend and congratulate those in the healthcare delivery, pastors that prayed, government officials both in the states and local councils, Governor Babatunde Fashola in particular, volunteers, social workers, the media for creating super awareness, and all others that worked together with the Nigerian government to achieve this great honour done to our father land,” the group said.
However, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said despite that Nigeria has been declared an Ebola-free nation, the country should not go to sleep yet, until the last vestiges of the Ebola virus are destroyed.
In a statement from his media office in Abuja, Atiku commended the successful eradication of the virus from the country, a feat he said would change the negative perception of the country by the outside world.
He said the federal government, as well as the Lagos and Rivers states governments, should be commended for this remarkable achievement in the face of the grimmest medical crisis that the country found itself.
The former number two man in the country explained that the success is a clear indication that when leaders work together for the common good of the society, there’s always a ray of hope for the nation. He praised the medical personnel who participated in the battle to control the spread of the disease.
Chairman Senate Committee on the Environment and Ecology, Bukola Saraki, in a statement in Abuja entitled ‘Proud to be a Nigerian: Together we defeated Ebola’ said: “I join Nigerians all over the world to celebrate the World Health Organisation declaring our country ‘Ebola-free’.
“This is a significant achievement that must be celebrated by every Nigerian, regardless of what aisle of our numerous political divides that we stand on.
“The way we all came together to combat this disease makes me believe that together Nigeria stands as an unconquerable and indivisible nation.
“And as we do so, we must also remember the heroes – our dear and departed countrymen and women – who gave their lives in service of their nation, by maintaining the integrity of the medical profession.”
Chairman, Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Lagos State chapter, Dr. Tope Ojo, said: “The declaration by WHO is highly commendable.
“Our response to the EVD outbreak was quite laudable, taking into consideration the fact that it took collaborative efforts on the part of the state and federal governments, partner agencies, and the public.
“Despite the strike we had then, we had many volunteers who worked to contain the disease. All of them are members of NMA.”
Dr. Sam Awolola, a medical researcher with the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Lagos, said Nigerians should maintain the achievements recorded in containing the EVD.
“EVD and other related diseases are big concern to public health. So, in the area of hygiene, Nigerians should continue with the level of hygiene imbibed so far. This hygiene practice will keep diseases away from our environments.
“The isolation centres should be used for more research works on other related infections and contagious diseases,” he said.
What went right?
Nigeria’s example has shown that the EVD is combatable.
“It’s possible to control Ebola. It’s possible to defeat Ebola. We’ve seen it here in Nigeria,” Nigerian Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said. “If any cases emerge in the future, it will be considered – by international standards – a separate outbreak.
“If that happens, Nigeria will be ready and able to confront it exactly as we have done with this outbreak.”
For the WHO to declare Nigeria as Ebola-free, the country had to make it 42 days with no new cases (double the incubation period), verify that it actively sought out all possible contacts, and show negative test results for any suspected cases.
So what did Nigeria do right? Chukwu and Dr. Faisal Shuaib of the country’s Ebola Emergency Operation Centre have done a few analysis.
Preparing early. Nigeria knew it was possible a case of Ebola would make it into the country, so officials got to work early by training healthcare workers on how to manage the disease, and disseminating information so the country knew what to expect.
Declaring an emergency – right away. When Nigeria had its first confirmed case of Ebola, the government declared a national public health emergency immediately. This allowed the Ministry of Health to form its Ebola Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).
Training local doctors. Nigerian doctors were trained by Doctors Without Borders and WHO, and treated patients in shifts with their oversight.
Managing fear. “Expectedly, people were scared of contracting the disease,” Shuaib said. Nigeria used social media to ramp up awareness efforts, and publicised patients who were successfully treated and discharged.
Keeping borders open. Nigeria has not closed its borders to travellers from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, saying the move would be counter-productive.
Remaining prepared for more patients. Though this outbreak was contained, Nigeria is not slowing down its training and preparations for the possibility of more cases.
Advocating for more international response. “The global community needs to consistently come together, act as one in any public health emergency, whether it is Ebola or a natural disaster.” Shuaib said. “While a lot has been done, it still falls short of what is necessary to get ahead of the curve. We must act now, not tomorrow, not next week.”