FG discovers fresh Ebola cases, places139 persons on surveillance

The Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu confirmed two new cases of Ebola infection in Lagos, yesterday, which brings the number of cases recorded in Nigeria to nine.

Medical doctors attending to an Ebola virus disease victim

He also announced that 139 people were currently under surveillance.
Professor Onyebuchi made these known while addressing newsmen in Lagos to give an update on the country’s situation as regards the disease which spread panic across the nation between Thursday and Friday morning..
According to the minister, aside the two fresh cases, there were also six suspected cases which had not been confirmed.
“The total number of cases, as of this morning, (yestersay) stands at nine out of which eight are Nigerians and one American-Liberian.
“Out of the nine confirmed cases, seven are alive and are receiving treatment In Lagos,” he said.
He also noted that the fatality rate so far in Nigeria was between 30 to 26 per cent, adding that the rate in all other ECOWAS countries stood at 65 per cent.
“I am saying this to enlighten people that having Ebola does not mean you have been condemned to death, survivors have been recorded,” Onyebuchi said.
Also speaking at the press briefing, Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, condemned in totality false reports circulating that taking a salted hot water bath could protect one and serve as an antidote to the virus.
The health minister also described the report as “a wicked lie,” adding that “I believe Nigeria has laws in this regard. Such perpetrators must be fished out and prosecuted through the appropriate channels.”
The two ministers maintained that the best and most effective way to handle the situation was to maintain a regular hand washing culture, use hand sanitisers and reduce handshaking situations with other people.
Fears over the deadly Ebola virus spread across the country on Friday with panic-stricken Nigerians making frantic efforts to take precautions against contracting the disease.
Measures ranging from the sensible to the ridiculous were circulated all over the country as the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a global emergency over the spread of the disease.
A message advising Nigerians to take their bath with hot water mixed with salt in order to avoid the Ebola Virus disease went viral overnight in Nigeria.
The same mixture is also recommended to be taken to ward off the disease.
The spread of the message, kept several Nigerians from the North to the South awake all night creating nationwide panic.
Meanwhile, experts have warned that bathing with salt is no cure for Ebola and that it might even lead to other health complications.
Dr Olajimi Sodipo, a senior registrar, department of Family Health, Lagos state University, (LASU) said on Channels Television on Friday morning that bathing with salt in water is risky as it could lead to breakage of skin which could aid contracting the virus easily.
Also, the President of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria (MDCAN), Dr Stephen Oluwole, in an interview with Saturday Tribune declared rather ominously that he “ would say that there is a chance for Ebola epidemic now in Nigeria “ because the “initial isolation was not put there right from the onset.” He added that avoiding handshakes would also not help much.
“People say this, forgetting that that handshake is not the only way we come in contact with other people. If you take an object from somebody, a contact has been established. You do not want to shake hands but you take something from someone in your hands – this transmits something to you.
Thinking that if you do not shake hands, you are protected from the virus will be wrong.  What I am saying is that avoidance of handshake would give false hope because people might assume that this is all they need to do.
If a patient is close to you; living in your house, you come in contact in so many other ways and you do not know. The problem is that you will not know the point at which you had a contact with the person. That is the issue. Somebody might already be carrying the virus but the disease has not blown out and the person is associating with you before he has the fever, “ he concluded.

Ebola: Okada riders at risk – MDCAN

 By Victoria Ojeme TheMedical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria,


MDCAN, has raised the alarm that okada riders could be at risk in the spread of the Ebola virus, through body contacts for those who commute in commercial motorcycles.MDCAN in a statement faulted governments communication on prevention approaches that lays emphasizes only on handshake and contact with body fluid of those already tested positive for the virus, hat has so far claimed over 900 people in the West African sub-region.MDCAN in the statement signed by the President Dr Steven Oluwole and Assistant Secretary General , DR A Adesokan, made available to journalists in Abuja further put forth ten ways for consideration by government to contain the spread of the virus.The Statement warned that, “Approach of prevention, which centred on avoidance of handshakes, ignores that the modes of transportation in Nigeria, which include crowded buses and motor bikes encourage intimate body contacts that exceed handshakes.MDCAN further highlighted areas it regarded as knowledge and action deficit in dealing with the disease, saying, “Rigorous contact tracing were not instituted after the index case was identified in Lagos;Failure to model that infected health workers in Lagos may have transmitted to contacts whilst shopping, commuting, or recreating; Failure to model that contacts of Ebola cases in Lagos may have travelled to any other region in the country; No evidence of establishment of Ebola management centres in all regions of the Country; No evidence of procurement and distribution of safety equipments to protect staff;No evidence of training of staff to effectively manage cases; No evidence protocols have been developed and circulated to staff for case identification ; No evidence protocols have been develope to specially transport suspected cases to treatment Centres.The body however suggested ten ways to stem the spread of the virus , including, “ The MDCAN will like the appropriate agencies of government to work on the assumption that the epidemic has potentially spread to all regions of Nigeria; Protocols to identify cases, and for self reporting should be developed; Centres for reporting of cases should be established; Centres for management of cases should be designated“ Random management of cases in hospitals across Nigeria should be avoided; Special transportation facilities for identified cases should be established; Management protocols, training of special management staff, and adequate protection of staff should be ensured and ; The General Public is advised to avoid charlatans and opportunists, who offer unverifiable claims of cure of a disease they know nothing about, but seek information and clarifications” the statement added.”

Delta LG poll: Egbema group threatens bloodbath in Warri North

By Emma Amaize and Austin Ogwuda
THE Egbema Radical Group, ERG, an insurgent Ijaw group in Warri North Local Government Area, Delta State, has threatened to disrupt the October 25 local government elections in the area, except the Itsekiri ethnic group ceded the chairmanship seat to the Ijaw.
Spokesperson of the group, Mr Amin Dada, told Saturday Vanguard, “Since Warri North was created, Ijaw man had never emerged chairman of the council, which we are all stakeholders. The Itsekiri people have taken the chairmanship as their birthright, so we have vowed that this must stop in 2014.”
“We have made representations at different times and published our stand  in the media in the past few years, but the powers that be in Itsekiri land and the Itsekiri government in power in Asaba do not want to hear us, and it is clear that those who make peaceful change impossible make violent change inevitable,” he added.
Police warn group
Delta State Police Command said it was not aware of the threat by any group to stop the local government elections in Warri North.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Celestina Kalu, said, “The police wish to warn any person(s) and group(s) in the state that want to cause trouble in Warri North or any part of the state during the forthcoming Local Government elections to desist from it, as adequate policemen will be deployed to deal with such situation.”
Her words: “The police are  not aware of any threat to stop the elections in Warri North, we do not know such group and they are warned to stop any planned action forthwith.”
We don’t select candidates for parties– DSIEC boss
Chairman of Delta State Independent Electoral Commission, DSIEC, Mr. Moses Ogbe, told  Saturday Vanguard when contacted on the threat: “We expect that the 26 registered political parties are presently conducting their primaries. We do not interfere in their choice of candidates.”
No talk with criminals- Uduaghan
Saturday Vanguard learnt that Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, who is from Warri north, had waded into the matter to ensure there was no disturbance to his peace and security agenda.
He had stated clearly in the past that the state government would not succumb to blackmail by criminals, who masquerade as activists, describing the Egbema Radical Group as criminals, who must not be allowed to exist in the state.
The governor was emphatic that government was not prepared to discuss with criminals and those talking about elections should go to the polls, instead of destroying oil installations, killing and maiming their fellow citizens.
At a time, he constituted a committee of Itsekiri and Ijaw leaders in Warri North to look into the issues causing friction in the area and proffer solution, while security agencies were deployed to fish out the insurgents. Arrests were made, but with the local government elections approaching, the group has regrouped to cause mayhem.

WHO declares Ebola epidemic an international health emergency

 The World Health Organisation (WHO), said on Friday in Geneva that the Ebola epidemic is an “extraordinary event” and now constitutes an international health risk.The Geneva-based UN health agency said the possible consequences of a further international spread of the outbreak, which has killed almost 1,000 people in four West African countries, were “particularly serious” in view of the virulence of the virus.“A coordinated international response is deemed essential to stop and reverse the international spread of Ebola,” the WHO said in a statement after a two-day meeting of its emergency committee on Ebola.The declaration of an international emergency will have the effect of raising the level of vigilance on the virus.“The outbreak is moving faster than we can control it,” the WHO’s Director-General Margaret Chan told reporters after a briefing from the WHO’s Geneva headquarters.“The declaration will galvanise the attention of leaders of all countries at the top level. It cannot be done by the ministries of health alone,” Chan said.The agency said that while all countries with Ebola transmission, namely Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone should declare a national emergency, there should be no general ban on international travel or trade.The current outbreak, in which at least 1,711 people have so far been infected, of whom 932 have died, is the most severe in the almost 40 years since Ebola was identified in humans.The WHO said this was partly because of the weakness of the health systems in the countries currently affected, which lacked human, financial and material resources.It also said inexperience in dealing with Ebola outbreaks and misconceptions of the disease, including how it is transmitted, “continue to be a major challenge in some communities”.

Ogoni people want HYREP scrapped, invite Jonathan

 

Federal government has assured people of Ogoni that it would soon release funds for implementation of the UNEP report in the area.President JonathanMinister of Petroleum, Mrs Allison Madueke who gave the assurance yesterday at a one day consultative meeting between the federal government and Ogoni in Bori, heaquarters of Khana local government area said the goverrnment was going to work with United Nation’s body, community and other relevant stakehokders to carry out a thorough clean up of Ogoni communities.The Minister who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, Mr Danladi Kifasi said government would ensure that the fund meant for the remediation exercise was used effectively.“The federal government is mindful that the funds meant for remediation and restoration activities in Ogoniland are used for that purpose.The funds are ready. Soon, we will be working with the UN, Ogoni communities and the relevant Nigerian agencies to pull our our collective knowledge and construct a road map to deliver a comprehensive remediation programme with a focus on immediate delivery and restitution”, he said.Meantime, the federal government has been told to declare Ogoni an environmental emergency. President, Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People, MOSOP, Mr Legborsi Pyagbara who read a communique at the end of the meeting also called on President Goodluck Jonathan and his Minister of Petroleum to visit Ogoni to see the level of pollution documented by the UNEP report.The people also expressed worries with delay in implementation of the report three years after it was released to the federal government.“We are calling on the Federal Government to declare Ogoni an environmental emergency because of the level of degradation here as discovered by UNEP.“UNEP submitted its report on the pollution in our land three years ago and we are suprised that the federal government has not implemented that report. What has caused this long delay. The $1billion which UNEP said would be needed to clean-up the area is not much for the federal government.“Why has the President who is from the Niger Delta failed to release the funds meant for the clean-up and start the process of implementation. We want HYPREP scrapped and replaced with Ogoni environment and restoration authority in line with the UNEP report.“We therefore call on President Goodluck Jonathan and the Minister for Petroleum to visit Ogoniland and see things for themselves, except the government is saying that the over 2000 Ogoni lives lost to military repression and the continued death of our people due to pollution of our land is of no concern to them,” he said.Senator Magnus Abe, Prof Ben Nanee, Prof. Roselyn Konya were among prominent Ogoni sons and daughters at the meeting.

Ebola: Lagos, Ogun, others set up isolation centers for patients

By Daud   Olatunji, , Austin Ogwuda, Festus Ahon, Wole Mosadomi
Apparently worried by the outbreak of the dreaded Ebola virus governor of Lagos state, and his counterparts in Ogun, Delta among others have set up isolation centers to battle and prevent further spread of the deadly disease in their respective states.

LAGOS
During an inspection visit to the Lagos newly built isolation ward for Ebola Virus Disease(EVD), situated at Lagos Mainland Hospital, Yaba area of Lagos yesterday, the State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, said that the facility was ready for use, as the state tackles the outbreak of Ebola disease that has claimed two lives.
“The State has a health challenge on her hands and the administration is concerned about the people in terms of their well-being and for the people who have taken leadership to help in containing it. He stated
OGUN
The Ogun State commissioner for health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka disclosed that the state had started training health officials in some local government areas of the state.
Soyinka who further noted that the state was already collaborating with the federal government agencies in the border areas to prevent carriers of the virus from entering the state,however, denied that, the state had recorded Ebola cases.
According   to him, the state had two contacts but they were cleared from the deadly virus disease.
DELTA
Briefing newsmen, chairman of the Committee on Inter-Ministerial Ebola Virus Outbreak Preparedness and Response, Dr. Joseph Otumara named the hospitals to include; Warri Central Hospitals, Ughelli Central Hospital, Sapele Central Hospital and Agbor Central Hospital. Others are Oleh Central Hospital, Eku Baptist Government Hospital and Delta State University Teaching Hospital Oghara.
Otumara who is also the State Commissioner for Health, said the Ebola Virus which has claimed 932 deaths in a total of 1,203 reported cases, has not yet been reported in the State, adding “the State Government is doing its best to stem what happened in Lagos from happening here in Delta State.
Saying that adequate awareness was being created to educate the residents of the State of the Ebola Virus disease, he said “the State Government is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that any suspected case is promptly contained.
NIGER
The Containment Centres in Niger state are to be established in each of the three Senatorial Districts of the state while the Ouarantine Centre is to be established in Min a, the state capital.
The state Commissioner of Information, Alhaji Danladi Ndayebo who told Journalists during a Press Conference in Minna yesterday said the Centres will be properly equipped and stocked with drugs for supportive care in case case of eventual Breakout of the disease in the state.
He however made it clear that for now, no case of the Virus has been reported in any part of the state.
The Commissioner said that because the state shares border with Benin Republic, the state government has also taken measures to work hand in hand with Security Agencies particularly the immigration Service to check the inflow of persons at the border posts.

Ndayebo also disclosed that the state ministry of health is already interfacing with District heads, Local Government and Director of Public Health in the 25 local government areas of the state to create awareness on the dreaded disease.
Already, the state ministry of health has commenced the reactivation of its Rapid Response team to ensure monitoring and supervision in the event of outbreak just as the government has also constituted a 6 man council committee also to sensitise members of the public on the disease.

19yr-old boy for rapes nursing mother in Edo

By SIMON EBEGBULEM
THE Police in Edo State has arrested 19-year old Peter Braimoh who allegedly raped a 24 year-old nursing mother at Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Council of Edo State.
The suspect was said to have gained entrance into the victim’s residence through the window at about 4am, knowing that the husband was not around.  On gaining entrance into the house, he ordered the woman to undress and allow him make love to her or her little baby will be shot dead.
But while the victim was pleading to the suspect to take whatever valuable in the room and leave her alone, the suspect was said to have gone for the little baby and turned him upside down, forcing the mother to her kneels as she begged the suspect to spare the life of the baby.
Following the persistent threat, the nursing mother agreed to the suspect’s advances and she was raped by the suspect. However, after the incident the suspect escaped but the matter was reported to the police Division in Agenebode.
The police swung into action and the suspect was trailed to an undisclosed location where he was arrested. The Police in Agenebode transferred the case to the State Police headquarters in Benin City last Sunday.
The suspect who spoke to newsmen at the state Police Command attributed his action to the handiwork of the devil and appealed for mercy from the government.
He said, “ the devil pushed me to go and make love to her because I have been seeing her. I don’t know when and how it happened, I am only appealing that they should forgive me I will not try such thing again in my life”.
However, the victim who is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital, appealed to the police to investigate the matter and prosecute the suspect. Edo state Police Commissioner, Foluso Adebanjo assured that the matter would be charged to court after investigation.

US sends more staff to Nigeria in response to Ebola

 WASHINGTON (AFP) – US health authorities said Friday they are sending extra personnel and resources to Nigeria, which has declared a national emergency as it battles a deadly outbreak of Ebola for the first time.“We are starting to ramp up our staffing in Lagos,” US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesman Tom Skinner told AFP.“We are really concerned about Lagos and the potential for spread there, given the fact that Lagos — and Nigeria for that matter — has never seen Ebola.”Nigeria became the fourth West African country involved in the largest Ebola outbreak in history when a dual US-Liberian citizen who was infected with Ebola traveled by plane to Lagos on July 20. He died five days later.Eight people who came in contact with him have been diagnosed with Ebola, and two have died.Ebola has killed 932 people in Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia and Nigeria since March, and has infected more than 1,700 according to the World Health Organization.Experts say Ebola is out of control in West Africa, and the WHO on Friday declared the epidemic an international health emergency and appealed for global aid.In Nigeria, President Goodluck Jonathan declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus “a national emergency,” his office said in a statement.He urged people to avoid large gatherings, and approved the release of $11.6 million to fund measures against the spread of the virus, including setting up isolation centers and increasing screening at borders.- ‘With a fury’ -Skinner said CDC personnel are in all affected countries, and that several US personnel already on the ground in Nigeria.“We helped the folks in Lagos set up an emergency operations center similar to what we do here that can help with organizing the country’s response to the outbreak,” he said.The US development agency USAID also announced a $12-million boost in aid to help curb the outbreak in West Africa. The funding will be used to support CDC experts and Red Cross campaigns in affected countries and to send equipment, including 105,000 sets of protective gear for health workers.Earlier this week, the CDC issued an all-hands alert that allows the agency to direct more funding and staff to the crisis.CDC chief Tom Frieden told lawmakers on Thursday that the agency already has 200 staff working on Ebola response, planned to “increase that number substantially.”At the same hearing before a House subcommittee, Ken Isaacs of the Christian aid group Samaritan’s Purse warned that the situation in Nigeria was likely to worsen.“Our epidemiologists believe that what we are going to see is a spike in the disease in Nigeria,” said Isaacs, vice president of programs and government relations.“It will go quiet for about three weeks and when it comes out, it will come out with a fury.”The incubation period of Ebola is 21 days, meaning it can take that long between initial exposure to the virus and the appearance of symptoms.People become contagious as soon as they begin exhibiting symptoms, which include fever, muscle aches, vomiting, diarrhea, and sometimes bleeding.Ebola first emerged in 1976, and there are no treatments or vaccines on the market.- ‘Stronger every day’ -A pair of American missionaries who fell ill with Ebola while treating patients in Liberia were given an experimental serum.Their health has improved, though experts say it is unclear if the medication is the reason.Kent Brantly, 33, and Nancy Writebol, 60, were flown out of Liberia and are now being treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.“I am growing stronger every day, and I thank God for his mercy as I have wrestled with this terrible disease,” Brantly wrote from his isolation unit Friday.“I held the hands of countless individuals as this terrible disease took their lives away from them. I witnessed the horror firsthand, and I can still remember every face and name.”