Ebola: WHO begs Nigeria to avail expertise to affected West African countries

Nigeria has been admonished by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to provide expertise and build the capacity of other countries in the West African sub-region on how to contain the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in their countries.

Executive Secretary of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mohammed Ado announced this after the meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and the Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Margaret Chan, on the successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country and the effective halting of transmission of poliomyelitis.
Ado further disclosed that WHO was set to announce Nigeria as the next country to exit from polio endemic countries having successfully reduced the burden by 95 per cent between 2013 and 2014.

His words, “Mr President had interaction with WHO DG, we discussed the issue of poliomyelitis and she commended Mr. President for the leadership and effective management that had led to effective halting of the transmission of poliomyelitis in Nigeria and also containing the ebola virus outbreak. And Nigeria was well commended because Mr. President demonstrated highest level of leadership and other countries were called upon to emulate the good work of Mr President.
“You will recall that for poliomyelitis between 2013 and 2014 Nigeria was able to reduce by 95 per cent the burden in the country. Nigeria is being tipped as the next country to exit from polio endemic countries and was again commended by all countries and the leadership of Mr. President was appreciated by WHO and other countries were called upon to emulate Nigeria’s example,” he noted.
Speaking about how Nigeria can benefit from the new committee on Ebola, Ado said: “Nigeria’s role in containing the ebola outbreak in the country was well commended and other countries were called upon to emulate us. In fact one key thing that came out from the meeting between Mr. President and WHO DG was for other countries to benefit from Nigeria’s expertise in terms of containing ebola and Nigeria is going to support other countries in terms of capacity building, in terms of the emergency operation centres that we used.
“Because the emergency operation centres that we used which is the holding room arrangement which was used to contain the ebola outbreak in Nigeria. So Nigeria will be supporting other countries in terms of capacity building and human resource because already we have about 500 human resources available to assist other countries within the West African sub-region.

“So what this means is that public health system in Nigeria is working and working very well. So lots of good things are happening in Nigeria and it is obvious that Nigeria is providing that leadership in the sub-region in terms of containing the Ebola virus,” Ado asserted.