By Iyalla Adaye
Port Harcourt
Minister of Health, Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has disclosed that the outbreak of the disease has given the country opportunity to effect some positive changes in the public health system.
He said this in Abuja yesterday during a one-day National Youth and Student Leaders’ Sensitisation lecture on Ebola Prevention and Management organised by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Student Matters, Comrade Jude Imagwe.
He said the outbreak gave opportunity to Nigerians to unite in the singular fight against the deadly disease and other areas.
He however disclosed that Nigeria is only left with three people infected with the Ebola virus disease as other victims of the virus have been treated and discharged.
He said: “Ebola gave us the opportunities to re-build our public health properly, to police our borders, for our health workers to protect themselves properly and its test has also revealed more HIV patients as they come out openly to say they have HIV and not Ebola. Even though we have lost some patriots, their death will not be in vain.”
He called for more volunteers to come out and assist the government in containing the spread of the virus, adding that the shaking of hands should be suspended for now.
Speaking earlier, Imagwe noted that nothing had set fear into the minds of Nigerians like the Ebola outbreak, saying that Patrick Sawyer brought it to plant fear into Nigerians and reduce the Nigerian population.
He added that the level at which government responded to containing the outbreak showed that Nigeria was working and functional in spite of all the challenges.
“Irrespective of challenges facing our great nation, I still see a prospective Nigeria moving from strength to strength.”
Chief Consultant, Epidemiologists of Nigeria, Dr Akin Oyemakinde, who delivered lecture on Ebola Prevention and Management, said proper maintenance of good hygiene and washing of hands regularly would reduce the risk of affection.
