nigeria’s ebola success story, rosemary nwaebuni. #gijc15

Presented by: ROSEMARY NWAEBUNI11 Oct., 2015

NIGERIA – BRIEF OVERVIEW

11 Oct., 2015Presented by: ROSEMARY NWAEBUNI 2

Nigeria is located in the West African Sub-region. It operates a Democratic Federal structure consisting of 36 states and a federal capital territory (Abuja). It is made up of 774 Local Government Areas with a population of about 170 million people; reputed as the most populated black nation in the world.

What is Ebola? Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), also known as Ebola Hemorrhage Fever (EHF) is a rare but deadly infection that causes both internal and external bleeding in humans.

Ebola hemorrhagic fever is a highly contagious illness that is often fatal in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees).

As the virus spreads through the body, it damages the immune system and organs. Ultimately, it causes the level of blood-clotting cells to drop, leading to severe, uncontrollable bleeding.


Mode of Transmission Transmission occurs through direct

contact with the skin or body fluids (blood or secretions) of an infected person or animal (monkey, chimp and bat). This occurs mostly during the late stages of infection.

Those who care for Ebola-infected persons or have contact with dead bodies resulting from Ebola are more at risk or contacting the disease.


Symptoms Sudden onset of high fever that does

not respond to treatment for common causes of fever.

Bleeding Diarrhea Severe abdominal pain Headache Nausea


African Countries Hit by Ebola Prior

to Nigeria’s case Sierra Leone Liberia Guinea Ebola had killed about 632

persons across these three countries before it hit Nigeria.


Nigeria’s Proactive Initiative In March, 2014 prior to the first Ebola case in Nigeria, the Federal

Ministry of Health issued a red alert, warning that the spread of Ebola Virus Disease to neighboring West African countries had put the nation in danger., urging persons with high fever, headache, severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bleeding, especially with a history of travel to Guinea, Sierra Leone or Liberia, to report to the health authorities at once for observation and treatment. As at that time, number of infected persons/casualty rate in other West African countries stood at 137 cases and 86 deaths

Relevant authorities in all 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capita Territory were united in creating awareness and mobilizing against the disease while collaborating with the West African Health Organization (WAHO), World Health Organization (WHO), other countries and development partners to strengthen the Nigeria’s response capacity.

Prior to the first reported case of Ebola in Nigeria in July 2014,

every citizen both literate and non-literate alike already knew the danger and risk of Ebola outbreak due to the massive awareness campaign carried out across the country through the mass media.


HOW EBOLA ENTERED NIGERIA

Ebola entered into Nigeria ON July 20, 2014,courtesy of Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian citizen who was on official trip to Nigeria to attend ECOWAS meeting.



How Nigeria Defeated Ebola Media onslaught The Nigerian media (print, electronic, social) played a fantastic role in creating awareness on Ebola scourge. It provided wide coverage on the disease through copious reportage and expository features, including mine.

Excellent Tracking TechniqueThrough the immigration records, co-passengers of Patrick Sawyer and those who had contact with them were all traced and quarantine at the Ebola emergency management centers across the country.

Effective QuarantiningPatrick Sawyers co-passenger and those who had contact with them were quarantine and placed under surveillance and close monitoring. Those with symptoms were treated of those symptoms. Their spouses were equally not left out. Decontamination There were prompt cordoning and decontamination of health institutions, facilities and houses where persons with Ebola symptoms were traced to.

Proactive MeasuresPrior to the first Ebola case, Ebola emergency Management Centers were established in all states of the country with dedicated toll-free telephone numbers which people can call to report suspected cases.

Adoption of isolated treatment method for each symptom of the disease


Uncommon spirit of National Unity The entire Nigerian populace was united in the fight against Ebola. They shared a common sense of apprehension, considering that the disease permitted no care from family members/loved ones, kills within a few days, respects no social, political or economic status and has no cure. The religious, political and ethnic affinities that tend to divide us as a people were set aside to fight the disease to a standstill.

Copious publicity There was vigorous and sustained campaign in mass media (TV, radio, newspapers, hand bills, town criers, seminars town hall meetings, etc) by all tiers of government (Federal, State and Local) well in advance of the Ebola scourge, during the challenging period of the disease and even after the country was declared Ebola-free by the WHO.

Preventive measures adopted by all and sundry Due to wide publicity given to Ebola and its dangerous nature, all and sundry including market women, school children, artisans etc, began to adopt hygienic and preventive measures.


Schools were closed down for several weeks. When they finally reopened, pupils and students were compelled to follow established hygienic and preventive measures put in place such as washing their hands with tap water and anti-bacterial soap and applying hand sanitizer – all made available at the entry points. People began to wear hand gloves; even market women resorted to wearing nylon on their hands before attending to customers. Handshakes were reduced to the barest minimum and people carrying signs on their chests with inscription: ‘handshakes prohibited, please’, for the fear of contacting the disease.


Effectively Treated Cases/Casualties

A total number of 19 persons were infected by Ebola in Nigeria. Out of this number, 12 persons were effectively treated but unfortunately, 7 patients died before Nigeria began to apply its home made technology of isolated treatment.


My Role in the Ebola Tragic DramaI maintained consistent monitoring of the trends of casualties, infections and deaths as relayed on different electronic media. I interface these information with my telephonic fact findings from experts/care givers directly involved in managing Ebola patients and then present my reports in feature formats in my medium, The Pointer Newspaper.

I conducted interviews with health care practitioners on the dangers and effective ways of preventing and managing Ebola virus. I networked and maintained constant touch with Delta State Ministry of Health and health institutions in the state to get update on the disease and measures put in place to surmount it in the event that it surfaced in the state.

I equally networked with a couple of WHO representatives in my country and in my state of residence for update from the Ebola management centers.

I also monitored and reported behavioral and social changes in the state engendered by the Ebola scare.

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Challenges1. Lack of cooperation from interviewees.

2. Reluctance in answering calls on the parts of persons relevant in my investigation.

3. Meeting Deadlines.

Skills Adopted to Overcome the Challenges1. Exploring my array of contacts

2. Provoking controversy; that is, putting reluctant authorities on the defensive.


Free at Last!On the 20th day of October, 2014, exactly 93 days after the first confirmed case of Ebola in the country, the WHO officially declared Nigeria as an Ebola-free nation!

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ConclusionFollowing its success story in effectively combating Ebola in the most populated black territory of the world, several advanced countries with better health systems are now studying Nigeria’s home made technology/method in order to improve their own contact tracing capacity and treatment method as part of their preparedness for any case of Ebola importation.


THANK YOU

nigeria’s ebola success story, rosemary nwaebuni. #gijc15

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