FG Assures Nigerians on Capacity to Contain Ebola

By Micheal Chukwuebuka

The Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness, Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats has assured Nigerians it can handle Ebola in the country.

The Chairman of the Task Force and Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila stated this while briefing the newsmen after the group’s emergency meeting at the State House.

A statement by the Special Adviser to President, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga indicates that the Task Force has been working behind the scenes since it was inaugurated in June this year, noting that that is why it was easy to detect the index case discovered.

“The passenger with the disease showed no symptoms, which came four days after the woman got into Abuja, and it was the identification process and the protocols that were put in place that enabled the quick identification. That also speaks to the country’s capacity and ability to deal with this disease as best as we can,” he said.

He assured Nigerians that the Task Force would strengthen whatever needed strengthening, the protocols, and ensure more rigorous enforcement moving forward.

He appealed to all Nigerians to respond to calls for compliance for the good of all.

In the same vein, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, said Nigeria has competent health authorities, including private hospital operators and agencies, Immigration, Aviation, Interior, and sub national actors, who have put surveillance systems in place across the country, ready to respond.

“They are working day and night diligently, and our hospital capabilities are also activated, such that we can aim to contain this case, as has been the case in other countries, but we will not relent. Our population should respect public health directives.

Most of our states have adequate response plans. We have the resources, and we’re mobilising those capabilities. And we’re also confident that if we continue on this path, we should be able to dent this outbreak.”

He further urged citizens to avoid misinformation while combating the virus.

“In addition to our exceptional public health physicians who had successfully tamed this virus in 2014, and had contributed to other countries, we are confident that if we continue in this direction, we will emerge out of this crisis in a much stronger place,” Pate assured.