The Federal
Executive Council (FEC) has directed the Ministry of Health to step up
surveillance at the nation’s borders, following reports of a fresh outbreak of
the Ebol
a Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The outbreak
in Bikoro town, northwest of the DRC, has already recorded two confirmed cases
of the virus and 17 deaths.
More than
11,000 died of the disease in Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone in 2014.
According to
the World Health Organisation (WHO), “EVD is a severe, often fatal illness in
humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the
human population through human-to-human transmission.
The average
EVD case fatality rate is around 50 per cent. Case fatality rates have varied
from 25 per cent to 90 per cent in past outbreaks.”
The Minister
of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed the Council's directive while
briefing State House correspondents after a meeting presided over by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday.
Joined by
Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama and Special Adviser to the
President on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina, Adewole said apart from the
directive, which is intended to "keep Nigerians safe", the government
will also establish an emergency operation centre to be headed by Dr.
Babasanya, who led Nigeria's efforts in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea during
the 2014 outbreak.
"We
will be screening incoming passengers, particularly passengers from the DRC and
neighbouring countries. We will also ensure we step up all activities,
screening people coming in, so that we will not be caught unawares," he
said.
He disclosed
that the Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) is planning to send a team to the
DRC to build capacity for managing the outbreak.
“We want to
assure Nigerians that the Federal Government is concerned about the outbreak
and will do everything possible to keep the country safe," said Adewole.
Fielding
questions on the ongoing strike in the health sector, Adewole said the Minister
of Labour, Chris Ngige, is already leading the Federal Government's negotiation
team for talks with the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU).
FEC also
directed the Federal Ministry of Education to carry out an audit of Nigerian
universities to ascertain their performance and also stop the charging of
tuition fees.
The Minister
of State for Education, Prof. Tony Anwuka, said the ministry is expected to
submit a status report to the Council about both public and private universities.
He said FEC took the decision while approving Skyline, a new private university
in Kano State.
"FEC
discussed the issue of school fees in the various universities and noted that
with regard to the law, no federal university should charge tuition fees. We
understand some universities now charge fees per course unit.
We are going
to make sure we investigate that properly and make it stop. Students can pay
other auxiliary fees but not in excess.
Various
university councils and management should be able to fix fees students should
pay that are affordable and acceptable to the students.
That is the
position. The Federal Government does not determine fees for private and state
universities; it only takes responsibility for fees paid in the federal
universities," he said.
FEC also
approved the procurement of equipment worth N1.365b for the completion of control
towers at airports in Maiduguri, Akure, Benin, Ilorin, Kaduna and Ibadan.
The Delta
State government, meanwhile, has declared it would partner the NCDC and the
Federal Ministry of Health to stop the outbreak of Ebola and Lassa fever.
Commissioner
for Health, Dr. Mordi Ononye, said the government has put in place an effective
medical emergency response system spanning all the 25 local councils of the
state.
Speaking in
Asaba, yesterday, he said: “It is this system that made it possible for the achievements
we recorded in managing the outbreak of Lassa fever, Monkey pox and the rest.”
He noted
that following the suspected outbreak of Monkey pox in Bayelsa, the State Rapid
Response Team was activated, and the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with
WHO, sensitised disease surveillance officers in the local government areas.
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