by udumakalu
The World Health Organisation has commended Nigeria’s handling of the ebola virus disease outbreak in the country and also urged it to provide expertise and build the capacity of other countries in the sub-region.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary, of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mohammed Ado, while speaking with journalists after a meeting between Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan and the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan, on the successful containment of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country and the effective transmission of polio melitis .
Ado also said WHO is set to announce Nigeria as the next country to exit from the list of polio endemic countries, having successfully reduced the burden by 95 per cent between 2013 and 2014.
” The President had interaction with WHO DG, we discussed the issue of polio melitis and she commended Mr. President for the leadership and effective management that had led to effective transmission polio melitis in Nigeria and also containing the ebola virus outbreak. And Nigeria was well commended because Mr. President demonstrated highest level of leadership and other countries were called upon to emulate the good work of Mr President.
“You will recall that for polio melitis between 2013 and 2014 Nigeria was able to reduce by 95 per cent the burden in the country. Nigeria is being tipped as the next country to exist from polio endemic country and was again commended by all countries and the leadership of Mr. President was appreciated by WHO and other countries were called upon to emulate Nigeria’s example” he said.
On the new committee on ebola and how Nigeria can benefit from it, Ado said, “Nigeria’s roll in containing the ebola outbreak in the country was well commended and other countries were called upon to emulate us. In fact one key thing that came out from the meeting between Mr. President and WHO DG was for other countries to benefit from Nigeria’s expertise in terms of containing ebola and Nigeria is going to support other countries in terms of capacity building, in terms of the emergency operation centers that we used. Because the emergency operation center that we used which is the holding room arrangement which was used to contain the ebola outbreak in Nigeria. So Nigeria will be supporting other countries in terms of capacity building and human resource because already we have about 500 human resource available to assist other countries within the west African sub region.
“So what this means is that public health system in nigeris is working and working very well under the leadership of minister of health and with the overhead oversight of Mr president. So lot of good things are happening in nigeria and is obvious that nigeria is providing that leadership in the subregion in terms of containing the ebola virus”, he added.