Finally , some good news to report on the Ebola front : Nigeria and Senegal are now completely free of the disease . Here ’s how they contained the eruption — and why the cosmos needs to take poster .
Earlier today , the World Health Organization declare that no new slip of Ebola has emerged in Nigeria in 42 days . That ’s the standard duration of sentence required for declaring the ending to an outbreak , since it ’s twice the maximal 21 - twenty-four hour period incubation full point for the virus . It ’s an incredible achievement — one that should allay fears and show that Ebola can be contained . Moreover , it ’s proof that developing nations , with sufficient backing from the international community , are fully up to of dealing with the epidemic .
Thwarting an “Apocalyptic Urban Outbreak”
Things look bleak back in July when the virus was detected in Lagos , Africa ’s large urban center . Nigeria , with its 166 million dweller , is Africa ’s most populous state and its newest economical powerhouse . Lagos boasts a universe of 21 million , ready it intimately as large as the population of Guinea , Liberia , and Sierra Leone combined . With its aerodrome and big universe hold out in often crowded and insanitary experimental condition , tidings of Ebola was gather with a tangible sense of apprehension .
“ The last thing anyone in the world want to hear is the two word , ‘ Ebola ’ and ‘ Lagos ’ in the same sentence , ” noted Jeffrey Hawkins , the U.S. Consul General in Nigeria , at the clock time . The juxtaposition of the two conjured images of an “ apocalyptic urban outbreak . ”
In the end , Nigeria confirm a sum of 19 Ebola cases , of whom seven died and 12 survived . It ’s a far cry from the berth in other parts of West Africa — but that ’s not an stroke . Here ’s how Nigeria did it and the “ good practices ” that should now be employed elsewhere :
Effective Leadership and Public-Health Institutions
The WHO credits Nigeria for its potent leaders and in force coordination of the response :
The most vital factor is leadership and mesh from the header of state and the Minister of Health . Generous allocation of government stock and their warm disbursement helped as well . Partnership with the private sector was yet another asset that bring in substantial resources to assist scale up control beat that would finally stop the Ebola virus dead in its running .
The response was greatly aid by the speedy utilization of a national public institution ( NCDC ) and the quick establishment of an Emergency Operations Centre , which was supported by the Disease Prevention and Control Cluster within the WHO rural area office . Nigeria also feature a first - pace virology lab affiliated with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital . It was staffed and equipped to quickly and faithfully diagnose Ebola , ensuring that containment measures could be employed with the shortest possible holdup .
Rapid Response to the Initial Case
Nigeria ’s first Ebola patient , Patrick Sawyer , was initially thought to have malaria . But once that was rule out , doctors immediately begin treat him as a possible Ebola patient . He was kept in closing off , functionary were notified , and a blood sample was rushed to a testing lab . Just three daytime later , Nigeria ’s health ministry set up an Ebola Incident Management Center , which finally turned into an Emergency Operations Center that co - ordinated the response and decisiveness - making .
Sufficient Access to Resources
As note , federal and state authorities in Nigeria were able to provide ample financial and substantial resources , including well - check and experienced national staff . closing off ward were immediately construct , as were designated Ebola treatment facilities ( though more slowly ) . Other resource included vehicles and fluid phones equipped with peculiarly adapted apps allowing health care workers to engage in material - sentence reportage as the investigations moved forwards . Many of these travail were back up by social mobilisation experts from UNICEF , CDC and Médecins sans Frontières .
High Quality Contact-Tracing
Nigerian health officials , working with aid from WHO , the US CDC and others , managed to reach 100 % of known contacts in Lagos and 99.8 % at the second outbreak web site in Port Harcourt , Nigeria ’s crude oil hub . eminent - character contact tracing was performed by know epidemiologists who expedited the former detective work of case and their speedy movement to closing off wards . And unlike the tragical situation in Guinea , Liberia , and Sierra Leone , all identify contacts were physically monitor on a daily fundament for 21 daytime . Some impinging endeavor to get out during the monitoring process , but they were all tracked by special investigating teams and returned to observance to make out the requisite monitoring flow of 21 Day .
Applying Lessons From Previous Outbreaks
Nigeria has been combat another blight , polio , for quite some time now and with gravid achiever . Among their many tactics , wellness functionary utilise the very in vogue satellite - free-base GPS engineering science to check that no child missed out on infantile paralysis vaccinations . When Ebola first appeared in July , they immediately repurposed these technologies and infrastructure to comport Ebola subject - finding , contact - tracing , and everyday mapping of links between identified chains of transmission . Nigerian wellness official also adapted the learnings from their efforts to decimate Republic of Guinea - worm disease .
A Rigorous Public Education Campaign
Communication with the public was also cardinal . Nigerien wellness and governing officials rallied communities to put up containment beat . This convoluted house - to - business firm selective information campaign — spoken in local accent — that explain the level of risk of exposure , effective personal measures , and the actions being film for control . All the while , Nigeria ’s president , Goodluck Jonathan , assure his population on nationally televised newscasts . Traditional and religious community leader were absorb early on and ask to play a role in sensitise the public . Finally , the full stove of mass medium opportunity were exploited , including social media and telecast fact about the disease delivered by Nigerien celebrities .
Screening At Borders — And A Refusal To Stop Air Travel
Instead of panic and ban line traveling , Nigerian health official screened all arriving and departing traveller by air and by ocean in Lagos and Rivers State . The average number of traveller riddle each day reached a bloom of more than 16,000 .
Moving Forward With Vigilance
intelligibly , this story is n’t over yet . Vigilance remain eminent and Nigeria ’s surveillance systems remains on a high-pitched level of alert . It ’s quite possible that , given the country ’s success , people from neighbouring countries may seek to ( lawlessly ) enter in .
As a final Federal Reserve note , and as remark by WHO Director - General Margaret Chan : “ If a country like Nigeria , hampered by serious security job , can do this – that is , make significant progress towards interrupting polio infection , eradicate guinea - worm disease and contain Ebola , all at the same time – any rural area in the world go through an imported case can carry onward transmission to just a handful of cases . ”
[ WHO ]
AfricaEbolapolioScience
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