GEJ declares national emergency on Ebola, approves N1.9b special intervention fund
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Friday in Abuja declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria, a National Emergency.
Accordingly, the President has directed the Federal Ministry of Health to work in collaboration with the State Ministries of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to ensure that all possible steps are taken to effectively contain the threat of the Ebola virus in line with international protocols and best practices. Continue...
President Jonathan also
approved a Special Intervention Plan and the immediate release of N1. 9 billion
for its implementation, to further strengthen on-going steps to contain the
virus such as the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management,
contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and
the procurement of required items and facilities.
The President commends the
vigilance of aviation and health
authorities in Lagos who identified and isolated the index case in Nigeria, the
late Patrick Sawyer, an American-Liberian who flew into the country.
He also applauds the good work
of health authorities at both State and Federal levels who have traced persons who
had contact with him, isolated other
identified cases and embarked on massive public enlightenment.
President Jonathan calls for even
greater vigilance and co-operation at all levels to stop the Ebola virus from
spreading further.
As the effective implementation
of the Federal Government's Special Intervention Plan will require other
stakeholders to take certain precautionary steps that are supportive of the
government’s initiative, the President calls on members of the public to follow
all directives by health authorities and report any suspected Ebola case to the
nearest health facility for immediate medical attention.
He also enjoins the public to desist
from spreading false information about
Ebola which can lead to mass
hysteria, panic and misdirection, including unverified suggestions about the
prevention, treatment, cure and spread of the virus.
President Jonathan urges that
the movement of corpses from one community to the other, and from overseas into
the country should be stopped forthwith. Every death should be reported to the
relevant authorities, and special precautions should be taken in handling
corpses.
Religious and political groups,
spiritual healing centres, families, associations and other bodies should, in
the meantime, discourage gatherings and activities that may unwittingly promote
close contact with infected persons or place others at risk.
Public enlightenment agencies,
including privately-owned media organs should support government’s efforts and
disseminate correct information in all Nigerian languages, about preventive
personal hygiene measures, the nature of the Ebola virus, modes of transmission
and consequential steps to be taken in the event of infection.
President Jonathan appeals to State
governments and private day care, nursery, primary and secondary schools owners
to consider the option of extending the current school holiday until such a
time when a national reassessment of the level of the Ebola threat is
conducted.
The President further directs
the National Emergency Management Agency and similar agencies at the state
level to strengthen their public enlightenment campaigns and to use their
networks to distribute hand sanitisers and other protective items nationwide. He
has also directed the aviation and health authorities to embark on immediate
intensification of the screening of travelers at all the nation’s borders.
President Jonathan reassures
everyone that the Government of Nigeria will continue to take every step,
deploy all resources, and mobilize every support and assistance to check the
spread of Ebola in the country.
Medical workers and other
health professionals are expected to regard this declaration of a National
Emergency as a patriotic call to duty and service.
Reuben
Abati
Special
Adviser to the President
(Media
and Publicity)
August
8, 2014
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