By KEMI YESUFU, Abuja

…… Dangote Foundation donates N150m for emergency centre 
As Nigeria battles to contain the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), the Federal Government has said it would soon introduce the Nano Silver drug as treatment for victims of the disease.So far, 11 cases of EVD have been confirmed with 169 persons currently under surveillance. Eight of the 11 victims are still alive and undergoing treatment. Following the expiration of the two-21 days incubation period of EVD, the primary contacts of Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian who died of the disease have been removed from surveillance.

Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu made the announcement yesterday in Abuja during a joint press briefing with the ministers of Information, Interior and Women Affairs. He however, said though the drug which was donated by a Nigerian scientist holds great promise for the treatment of EVD, it would only be administered to willing patients after it has been properly evaluated by the National Committee on the Treatment and Research of Ebola Virus Disease.

Chukwu, who said the drug would be delivered to Lagos yesterday, said government was still reaching out to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and relevant research agencies with regard to the country receiving other drugs or vaccines.

He allayed the fear that the runaway Lagos nurse might have infected her contacts on her way to Enugu, explaining that since the nurse had not displayed symptoms during her trip to Enugu, it was not likely that she infected her co-passengers. He said the only six of the contacts of the nurse, who recently got wedded have been placed under surveillance, while 15 others were left off the hook after rigorous scrutiny.  The minister also disclosed that the nurse was receiving treatment in Lagos, just as her husband who is yet to display symptoms of the disease has been quarantined since he had, “intimate” contact with his wife.

He said: “The nurse who is right now in Lagos is among the 11 first contacts of the index case, who have tested positive to the disease and she is being treated. But her husband who is yet to show symptoms and who is yet to test positive for Ebola as  at now is under quarantine in Lagos due to the intimate contact with his wife.”

“When the nurse was going to Enugu, she didn’t infect anyone because she was asymptomatic. It is only when an individual begins to show symptoms that he can infect people. But on her return journey to Lagos for treatment, she and her husband were transported back in a special ambulance.”

The minister, who insisted that Lagos was the only state with cases of EVD, also described as false the reports that Abuja and states such as Imo, Abia and Anambra were affected by the disease. In Imo and Anambra State, some communities had raised concerns over corpses brought in from Liberia.

The minster reiterated that the transportation of corpses into Nigeria and inter-state movement of dead bodies remained banned, stressing that government only granted waivers for movement of corpses after thorough investigations were carried out by the Federal Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of Aliko Dangote Foundation, Dr. Adiemong Adaga, yesterday announced a N150 million grant for the establishment of an Ebola emergency centre in Lagos.

“After bilateral discussions with the minister of Health, the Aliko Dangote Foundation, has funded the establishment of the Ebola Emergency Operation Centre in Lagos. This is being done by a grant from the foundation which is a little over N150 million” she said.


Source: Sun