Surveillance at major points of entry into the country should be strengthened
Given the warning by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the number of suspected Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DCR) and Uganda has risen to 600, with 139 suspected deaths, health authorities in Nigeria should be standing guard. The WHO Emergency Committee met in Geneva last Wednesday, where Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed to reporters that the virus remains a public health emergency of international concern, but not a pandemic emergency. “The WHO assess the risk of the epidemic as high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” Tedros said.
Ebola is a deadly viral disease which kills victims within a week of infection, leaving little or no time for treatment. Essentially, 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, and vomiting. And the virus spreads through close contact with blood and bodily fluids of infected persons or animals such as fruit bats. According to DRC health authorities, the current outbreak in the country is being fuelled by the Bundibugyo strain, a type of Ebola virus for which no vaccine or treatment exists.
The outbreak of the viral disease in 2014 spread panic in the West African sub-region and led to the deaths 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 Liberia-American, Patrick Sawyer who flew into the country with the virus and died in July 2014. 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. There was also an effective mobilisation of trained health workers in addition to widespread public awareness campaigns on containment measures against the disease.
For these efforts, 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. Going by the latest projection from WHO, it could take up to nine months before a vaccine against this particular species of Ebola is ready. Two possible “candidate vaccines” against the Bundibugyo species are being developed, but neither had gone through clinical trials yet.
While the WHO risk assessment of another Ebola epidemic may be that it is “high at the national and regional levels and low at the global level,” we commend the proactive stance of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) that has revved up its surveillance and emergency response. Although Nigeria has recorded no confirmed case of the disease, the NCDC Director-General Jide Idris, said the agency is closely monitoring developments in affected countries and coordinating preparedness efforts with the Port Health Services and other stakeholders. “Response activities are ongoing in affected areas, and we are ensuring continued vigilance within Nigeria’s public health system,” Idris said.
To be forewarned, as conventional wisdom teaches, is to be forearmed.
