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Ebola - FG Indicates Interest in Chinese Drug(AllAfrica Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Federal Government has indicated interest in a vaccine the Chinese government offered to make available to Ebola virus disease (EVD) infected countries through the World Health Organisation (WHO). The government has also concluded plans to conduct two major trainings in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to ensure that health practitioners get the requisite knowledge of the EVD. The states are then expected to cascade the training down to the local government areas in their respective states. The training will, however, be supported by development partners. Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, disclosed these in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the 2nd emergency National Council on Health (NCH) meeting on Ebola virus. He said: "The Treatment Research Group (TRG) has been working hard to identify experimental drugs like Zmapp, and also make recommendations to government on further research on these drugs as well as vaccines for EVD treatment and prevention. "Following the TRG's recommendation and in consultation with NAFDAC and NHREC, Nigeria has indicated interest to participate in the clinical trials for two candidate EVD vaccines and are considering a third that may be added to the list. "We have also applied for experimental drugs such as TKM-Ebola. "The TRG has submitted a detailed profile and brief on the oral antiviral agent which the Japanese government has offered to make available to affected countries through the WHO. "We are now considering this profile and brief to enable us reach a final decision on making it available to our patients. "Our initial knowledge of the agent is that it has been shown to have strong antiviral activity against the influenza virus following phases I and II human trials; it is now going through phase III clinical trials. "It is shown to have strong antiviral property against Ebola virus in vitro and in vivo. These and the fact that it is considered safe, having passed through phases I and II clinical trials, makes it a good candidate drug for use in emergency situations as the EVD," Chukwu said. On the health workers, the minister said: "We have concluded plans to conduct two major trainings in all the states. The states are however expected to cascade these trainings down to the LGAs with the support of development partners." Chukwu explained that the two categories of training will include: "Training of Trainer (TOT) for Health Workers on the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak and other Viral Haemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs) and TOT for State Health Educators on awareness creation, community sensitisation and mobilisation. "Arrangement has been made to include the military and para-military in the training." While giving update on the Ebola virus situation in the country, Chukwu said as of August 31, the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria stands at 17, while total death is six. The figure of survivors in the whole country till date was put at 11. "The total number of cases treated at the isolation ward in Lagos State stands at 14. The total number of those discharged is seven. "The total number of deaths among those treated in Lagos is five, and the total number currently under treatment in Lagos is two and both patients are stable. "Now as of 31st August, 2014, the number of contacts under surveillance in Lagos stands at 72 while in Port Harcourt, the total number of contacts under surveillance stands at 199. "There is nobody under surveillance in Enugu presently and no case of EVD in Enugu State. "As of 31st August, 2014, 278 contacts in Lagos State had completed the 21 days surveillance and have been discharged from surveillance. "While in Enugu, all the six identified contacts have completed the 21-day observation period and have been discharged from surveillance. "No contact in Port Harcourt has completed the 21-day observation period. "It is expected that a few more contacts will develop the EVD, especially in Rivers State before Nigeria will see the last case of EVD," the minister said. He added that what is encouraging so far is that all confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria have their roots in the index case, Patrick Sawyer, an American-Liberian, that imported the virus into Nigeria. Chukwu said "great vigilance is required particularly at our ports of entry to ensure we do not have cases of EVD from other sources other than Mr. Sawyer". Similarly, Nigeria has sought the assistance of the international development partners in to further contain the spread of EVD in the country. The call was made at a dialogue session with the International Development Partners (IDP), organised by the National Planning Commission (NPC) in Abuja. Minister of the NPC, Abubakar Sulaiman, said the purpose of the meeting was to fashion out desirable and workable solution to the spread of the disease and also to solicit their intervention to complement government's effort. The development partners at the NPC dialogue meeting included the World Bank, World Health Organisation (WHO), European Union (EU), African Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Department for International Development (DFID). Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, also on Monday allayed people's fears over the EVD, saying collaborative efforts of government have helped to bring the disease under control. The Governor also commended members of the health team that risked their lives to save Ebola victims. "They stood up to be countered when there was the dire need, when there was fear even at the highest levels of government. "In spite of those fears some men and women stood up to be counted. We will surely talk about them later," he noted. Fashola spoke when the management team of the telecoms firm, MTN Nigeria, visited him to present Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) as its own support for the war against EVD at the Lagos House. Fashola said the knowledge gained so far has helped a long way in demystifying the disease. He said government and people of Lagos have benefited from the telecoms firm's disposition through the provision of dialysis machines to the state government's health facilities as well as partnership in enhancing standard of education in the state. While acknowledging the receipt of the N200 million intervention fund from the Federal Government, the Governor assured: "We are at a stage where as I said before we do not need to panic, Ebola virus is not automatic death sentence, a lot of knowledge is being gained on a daily basis even at this moment about the behaviour of the virus and that knowledge helps the scientists to prepare even better to respond. "Different types of virus have been identified and we now have clarity about the length and life span of the virus. That body of knowledge helps in the management that our team has been able to put up in place here." From Rivers State came another report that two medical staff, a doctor and pharmacist, who were in close contact with the late Dr Samson Iyke Enemuo at Sam Steel Clinic, Port Harcourt, have all tested negative to the EVD and have since been discharged from the isolation centre. But one other serious case in the state has tested positive to the Ebola virus and has been isolated for intensive care at the centre. Enemuo died penultimate Friday having contracted the EVD from an ECOWAS official who himself had primary contact with the late American-Liberian, Patrick Sawyer. Briefing newsmen on the latest development over the virus, Rivers State Commissioner for Health, Sampson Parker, also disclosed that the late Enemuo's sister, Chinyene, who ran to Abia State, has been brought back to Port Harcourt and is now on surveillance. "The sister of Dr Enemuo who ran to Abia State has been brought back and we are monitoring her. "Meanwhile, she has shown symptomic signs. She is the second person to be tested since she returned from Abia State", the commissioner said. Parker noted that about six expatriate staff, eight nurses and four doctors have volunteered to work at the isolation centre in the fight against the Ebola virus in the state. He also explained that the late doctor will be buried this week in Port Harcourt according to the prescription of the World Health Organisation (WHO), but was silent on whether the deceased would be cremated or not. Bayelsa State Government also on Monday dispelled rumours that the Ebola virus disease has hit some parts of the state. State Commissioner for Health and head of Ebola Task Force, Ayebatonye Owei, who dispelled the rumour, spoke while reacting to speculations that three Ebola cases were recorded over the weekend at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri, one of the isolated centres in the state. It had been rumoured that the three cases were being investigated. Residents in the state had been gripped by panic since last week when news of confirmed outbreak of the scourge in neighbouring Port Harcourt, Rivers State, filtered into town. But Owei stated that "there is no Ebola case in Bayelsa" and described the speculations as "false". Also, Chief Medical Director (CMD), Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Okurga Malu, has declared that Benue State is free of Ebola. He made the statement following the discharge of a couple that returned to the state from Monrovia, Liberia. Okurga noted that the couple who were quarantined alongside their driver has finally been discharged after the hospital was certain that they were free of the virus. A statement by Head of Public Relations of the hospital, Cephas Hough, said the CMD noted that with the discharge, it means that there were no longer any Ebola patients in the hospital. The couple and their driver had been quarantined at BSUTH for about four weeks. Yinka Shokunbi and Ekene Okoro (Lagos), Daniel Abia (Port Harcourt), Chibuzor Emejor, Hassan Zaggi (Abuja), Igoniko Oduma (Yenagoa) and Vande-Acka (Makurdi) Copyright Daily Independent. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). |