…Health workers put on alert over Ebola disease
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has inaugurated an Interministerial, multi-sectoral Vaccine Coordination Committee to address diverse issues peculiar to COVID-19 vaccine acquisition by Nigeria.
The minister who inaugurated the committee on Monday, said the function of the vaccine committee is to advice government on coordinating access to acquisition and distribution of vaccines when available, and on immunisation strategy.
Ehanire said the Ministry of Health has also engaged the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT), which promised the country free allocation of 1.4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines, “of which 500,000 doses are expected by the end of this month, courtesy of MTN donation of 7 million doses to Africa'”.
The minister who spoke at the media briefing by the Presidential Taskforce on Control of COVID-19 in Abuja, explained that the balance of 900,000 doses for Nigeria is expected by the end of March 2021 while other sources of vaccines are under negotiation.
He added that the National Agency for Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has received dossiers for Sputnik V vaccine of Russia, Covishield or Astra Zeneca manufactured under license by Serum Institute of India, Covaxin by Bharat vaccines of India and the Sinopharm Vaccine of China, for evaluation and validation for use in Nigeria, adding that some of them are nearly ready for results.
Furthermore, Ehanire said Nigeria has received a pledge from the High Commissioner of India, giving 100,000 AstraZeneca or covishield vaccine doses to the country.
With regard to AVATT, Ehanire said Nigerian goverment has completed her account opening, which was signed on Monday by two officials each, of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Finance, Budget & National Planning, at Afrexim Bank as a requirement for access to vaccines on that platform, which will give Nigeria access to a much larger portfolio and variety of vaccines.
Among the vaccines are the Johnson & Johnson single dose vaccine and as much of the Pfizer mRNA vaccines as the country can manage.
Speaking on measures being adopted to check second wave of Ebola outbreak in the country, the minister said that health officials at the border posts have been put on alert.
According to Ehanire, stricter infection prevention and control measures, including personal protective measures, must be taken immediately there is reason to suspect prevalence in the country.
He also said that Nigeria is willing to send experienced volunteers from our Centres of Excellence on Viral haemmorrhagic fever, to support WHO measures to contain Ebola resurgence in the West African subregion.
“We shall work with West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO) and WHO on strategies to bring this outbreak under control and shall provide regular updates on preparedness, containment and response measures in due course,” he said.
Ehanire advised Nigerians to avoid travel to high Infectious disease burden countries.
Ehanire said the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has assured that its team on Ebola disease control has commenced action and will be issuing a public health advisory to Nigerians.
While reassuring Nigerians of government’s readiness to protect our country from the second outbreak of Ebola, the Director General of the Centre, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu said NCDC is taking the task very seriously.
Ihekweazu who gave updates at the PTF briefing on Monday, said the Centre is monitoring very closely the reported incidence of Ebola in the two countries, Guinea and Democrats Republic of Congo where there were reported cases.
The NCDC DG also said that the country is stepping up training of health workers, especially those involved in infectious disease control to help prepare against any disease outbreak.
