Ebola and Nigeria’s winning ways

Initially, the quest for the knowledge of its natural reservoir threw researchers into bewilderment. However, epidemiologists eventually discovered that it is zoonotic. In other words, it is an animal disease that can be transmitted to humans via contact with its hosts, especially African native animals. 

Consequently, the disease was named after Ebola River in Yambuku in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) where the Ebola Virus first appeared in 1976. It is, however, unfortunate that in the same year in the DRC, the first epidemic outbreak of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever recorded the highest casualties in history, claiming 280 lives out of 318 reported cases, representing approximately 90 per cent case fatality rates of any human pathogenic virus.

Epidemiologists are of the opinion that the cause of the rapid spread of the EHF is due to the fact it is not easily detected because its symptoms are much related to the symptoms of ordinary fever. Among the earlier symptoms of the EVD are arthritis, diarrhea, headache, nausea, sore throat and vomiting while the late symptoms include bleeding from the eyes, ears and nose. Other symptoms include gastrointestinal bleeding (bleeding from the rectum), eye swelling, extreme pain and rashes on the skin.

It is unfortunate that the disease has spread like wildfire across West Africa, claiming several lives in quick succession. According to the World Health Organisation media centre, in Sudan in 1976, the EVD killed 284 people out of the 151 cases, representing 53 per cent CFR. Also, in Sudan in 1979, 22 lives were lost in 34 cases, representing 65 per cent CFR. Also, in Sudan in 1995, 254 people succumbed to EVD out of 315 cases, representing 81 per cent case fatality rates. 

In 2000, it was a colossal loss to the people of Uganda as the EVD claimed 224 lives of the 425 cases, which represents 53 per cent CFR. In 2007, 31 years later after the first outbreak in the DRC, 187 people died of the deadly virus out of the 264 cases, representing 71 per cent. In the same year in 2007, again, Uganda lost 37 people of the 149 cases, representing 25 per cent CFR. In Gabon, 2001-2002, 53 people lost their lives out of the 65 cases that were reported, which represents 82 per cent case fatality rates. Again, five years after the last outbreak in Uganda, the EVD struck again, killing 17 people, representing 71 per cent CFR out of the 24 cases. In like manner, five years after the last outbreak in the DRC in 2007, 29 people were also confirmed dead, representing 51 per cent CFR of the 57 cases of Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever.

However, of all the aforementioned EHF cases, none of them has ever attracted global attention as the 2014 outbreak. An emergency meeting was held in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 150 medical experts in drug research, epidemiology, ethics, regulation and finance.

According to WHO, the Ebola Virus Disease has claimed 1, 427 lives out of the more than 2, 600 cases while 77 people have succumbed to the disease between August 18 and 20, 2014. The huge financial and humanitarian aids which the affected countries in the West Africa have received from the international community suggest the seriousness of the outbreak.

In the bid to arrest the situation, the Economic Community of West African States disbursed the sum of US$250,000 during the 44th Summit of the Heads of State and Government in Yamoussoukro, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, 2014. Interestingly, at the event, the Nigerian government donated the sum of US$500,000 to the Liberian government with a view to helping Liberians fight the virus. 

In the same gesture, a Nigerian business baron, Aliko Dangote, donated about US$920,000 to help the government defeat the EVD epidemic. It was also reported in March 2014 that the European Commission gave €500,000 to help contain the spread of the virus in Guinea and its neighbouring countries. Also, in August 2014, the Australian ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Ms. Frances Adamson, revealed that the Australian government would donate US$1m to the World Health Organisation, in addition to its annual support, to assist in combating the Ebola outbreak in the affected African countries.

 In the same vein, on August 12, 2014, Canada’s financial aid in the battle against the EVD virus in West Africa has been estimated at US$5,195,000. In addition to that, the Chinese government has also helped with humanitarian aids worth US$4.9. In like manner, on August 15, China Kingho Group, a Chinese company in Sierra Leone, was reported to have donated the sum of 400 million Leones (about US$90,000) to the government and people of Sierra Leone. 

Also, in April 2014, the Japanese government gave $520,000 through UNICEF to fight the same course. Interestingly, another US$1.5m in additional support was budgeted to be disbursed through the WHO, UNICEF and Red Cross to fight the cause on Ebola Virus. In the same generous spirit, the UK Government also doled out £2m to help fight in this battle of EVD.

However, among the Ebola-stricken West Africa countries, the way and manner in which the Nigerian government has proactively handled the epidemic have been widely commended. The first casualty of Ebola case in Nigeria was one Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American citizen who died on July 25, 2014, having come to Nigeria from Liberia where he was infected.0 Sadly, Dr. Ameyo Adadevoh, the doctor who was treating the index case (Patrick Sawyer) eventually died, having tried to resist the violent Sawyer on the sick bed. Adadevoh’s bravery did not only receive local commendation, but also applauded by the international community for the role she played in curbing the spread of the virus in Nigeria.

According to the UN’s health organ’s report in Geneva, the EVD has claimed 2, 097 lives out of the 3, 944 people infected in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone. On the other hand, Nigeria has recorded seven deaths out of the 19 cases while 30 more people have died in a separate outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Although the international community has expressed great fear should the dreaded virus spread wide in Nigeria, considering its population of over 167 million and its supposedly inability to handle such deadly epidemic. On the contrary, the Nigerian government has been able to prove its critics wrong by rising to the occasion. 

This remarkable proactive measure has continued to earn her global commendations, especially from international health agencies. The WHO Country Director for Nigeria, DrRui Vana Gaz, commended the Nigeria government, particularly the Lagos State Government during her courtesy visit to Governor Babatunde Fashola, at the State House, Alausa, Ikeja. In the same vein, the Assistant Country Representative of the United Nations Population Fund, Osareti Adori, lauded Nigeria for treating the EVD with all the seriousness it deserves. 

He expressed his satisfaction at the opening of a five-day workshop on Minimum Intervention Service Package for Traumatised Women and Children, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation in Lagos. “What is important is the will. For the first time in a long time, I’ve not seen this country take so serious any issue like the Ebola issue both at the federal and state levels. I see a strong will to contain this situation and where there is a will, there is a way,” he said.

 In the same manner, the US government did not only commend Nigeria, but also implored her to help other African countries. The Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield, expressed her joy during a courtesy call on the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu. According to her: “I commend the minister and his staff and the government of Nigeria on how effectively they have been working to deal with the Ebola outbreak here in Nigeria.They are taking all the right steps to control this and they are having great success here.

 I appealed to the minister to assist neighbouring Liberia, Sierra Leone as they also grapple with this terrible outbreak”.

Going by the aforementioned commendations, it implies that the EVD is under control and that other countries outside Africa can at least join in commending Nigeria for the good work done so far on the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease.

Source: Punchng