NIGERIANS TO WATCH OUT FOR OUTBREAK OF MORE EPEDEMICS SUCH AS …

21/02/20

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DANIELS G.O

WHILE GRAPPLING WITH LASSA FEVER ON ONE HAND,AND ON ANOTHER HAND LISTED AS A COUNTRY TO WATCH FOR THE SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS,NIGERIANS MUST BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR THE EMINENT SEASONAL OUT BREAK OF CHOLERA AND MENINGITIS DISEASES SAYS THE NATIONAL PUBLICITY SECRETARY OF THE ASSOCIATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENTISTS OF NIGERIA (AMLSN) CASMIR IFEANYICHUKWU CAJETAN.

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO ROUND OFF THE 14TH PUBLIC HEALTH LECTURE SERIES OF (AMLSN) IN LAGOS AND INDUCTION /INVESTITURE OF FOUNDATION FELLOWS AND 2020 ANNUAL CONGRESS OF THE WEST AFRICAN POSTGRADUATE COLLEGE OF MEDICAL LABORATORY SCIENCE,HE NOTED THAT NIGERIA HAS HAD A CHECKERED HISTORY OF THOSE OUTBREAKS IN OUR HEALTH SYSTEM DUE TO LACK OF PREPAREDNESS EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE VACCINE PREVENTABLE DISEASES.

CAJETAN AND A HOST OF OTHER LABORATORY SCIENTISTS AT THE FORUM ALL CALLED FOR MORE INVESTMENT IN THE NATION’S LABORATORY SYSTEM AS THE REVITALIZATION OF HEALTH IN ANY NATION DEPENDS ON ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS.

BEFORE THE COMING OF DOCTOR CHIKWE IHEKWAZU AS THE DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE NIGERIA CENTER FOR DISEASE AND CONTROL, ONLY THE IRRUA SPECIALIST HOSPITAL LABORATORY HAD A SEMBLANCE OF CAPACITY FOR LASSA FEVER DIAGNOSIS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, WHILE CASES BEYOND IRRUA GENERAL HOSPITAL WERE REFERRED TO SENEGAL AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

WHILE COMMENDING THE EFFORTS OF THE D.G (NCDC) FOR ESTABLISHING EMEGENCY OUTBREAK CENTERS AND SCALI NG UP A NUMBER OF PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORIES WITH THE CAPACITY FOR LASSA FEVER DIAGNOSIS FROM ONE TO FIVE IN NIGERIA, HE NOTED THAT MORE STILL NEEDED TO BE DONE AS FIVE LABORATORIES WERE GROSSLY INADEQUATE TO CATER FOR OVER TWO HUNDRED MILLION POPULATION AT RISK OF DIFFERENT DISEASES.

***AMONG THE PRIORITY STEPS EXPECTED FROM THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT ACCORDING THE ASSOCIATION ARE AS FOLLOWS

*1. TO ENHANCE THE MEDICAL LABORATORY INFRASTRUCTURE, HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES THAT WILL PROMOTE INTEGRATED NATIONAL LABORATORY NETWORK.

*2.FOR ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENTS INCLUDING POLICY MAKERS AND ENFORCEMENT AGENTS TO STRENGTHEN AND IMPLEMENT STRATEGIES THAT CUTS ACROSS NATIONAL BOUNDARIES TO ENSURE BIOSAFETY AND BIOSECURITY BECAUSE OF THE EVER INCREASING OUTBREAKS OF DISEASES THAT CAN MOVE ACROSS NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARIES WITH EASE.