ONE YEAR AFTER EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE: FASHOLA REITERATES CALL FOR MORE VIGILANCE AT THE NATION’S BORDER POSTS , ENHANCED PERSONAL HYGIENE

As Nigeria Tuesday commemorated one year of her declaration by the World Health Organization (WHO) as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) free, the immediate past Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola SAN, has again emphasized the need for vigilance by those entrusted with the responsibility of guarding the nation’s border posts across the country and enhanced personal hygiene among the citizenry.

The Ebola Virus Disease, which was known to be ravaging three countries of the West African sub-region, first found its way to Lagos on July 20, 2014, via a naturalized African - American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer who came as member of an ECOWAS mission to Nigeria. His death in a private hospital in Lagos set off a chain of activities across the country to combat and stop the deadly virus.

With Lagos State being the epicentre of the battle against the deadly disease, the State Government then under the leadership of Mr Fashola in collaboration with the Federal Government and international health agencies took a number of proactive steps which led to a containment of the outbreak with comparatively minimal casualties. This was globally certified on October 20, 2014 when WHO declared the country EVD free.

Speaking at his residence in Surulere when the management of an independent development communications organization, the Lagos Indicator Magazine, presented a booklet documenting the outbreak of the disease and the concerted effort aimed at its containment titled, “Combating the Ebola Scourge: The Lagos Approach”, Fashola said the emphasis on the border posts was important in order to ensure that  the nation is protected from any form of harm from the outside.

The former Governor, who was recently cleared by the Senate as Minister Designate, recalled the genesis of the deadly EVD in the country pointing out that if the carrier, Patrick Sawyer was diagnosed at the point of entry, the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, he would have been quarantined there and the whole country would have been saved the trauma and loss of life caused by the disease.

“There is an important lesson to learn from how Ebola came to Lagos. Somebody dropped the ball at the border post. That must never happen again”, Fashola said adding that although in a highly connected world of today people travel, the EVD could have been detected at the point of entry which in that case was the responsibility of the Airport Health Service.

He explained further that if the late Patrick Sawyer had been quarantined at the port of arrival he would not have been taken to a hospital in the city adding, “In that sense, if it meant shutting down the whole facility, it would have been easier to save lives and that, for me, is the way to go”.

Fashola declared, “And so all our personnel at the border posts, land, air and sea, must raise the bar in terms of service delivery, not only in port health but generally what they do at the border posts; that is the first line of defense for our country”.

According to him, “The Customs, Immigrations and other services working at the border posts have very high level of responsibility in securing all our lives and they must do that. Ebola was one infectious disease; there has been many before it and there will still be new ones; so let us not beat about the bush”.

Speaking on the question of preparation for future attacks of infectious disease in the country, Fashola declared, “In the aftermath of Ebola, we have had bird flu and we quickly rose to it and dealt with it.” He expressed his delight that Lagos shared information with Rivers State then which helped in containing the Ebola Virus there.

Paying tribute to the medical personnel and everyone involved in the efforts to combat the Ebola scourge including those that paid the supreme price in the course of duty like Dr Stella Adadevoh, Fashola noted that in the continuing race of human civilization there has always a constant battle between wellness and illness , adding that for wellness to win, individuals must constantly improve on their personal sanitary habits .

According to Fashola, while hospitals would be built the ultimate solution often sought by nations was to prevent their citizens from falling ill adding that the regular washing of hands which was imbibed during the period was the strongest pillar with which Ebola was defeated.

Reiterating that urinating and defecating in public were dangerous and unacceptable habits which must be stopped , Fashola said nutrition, cleanliness and water hygiene were the strongest weapons against illness. He declared: “As adults , we must inculcate the habit of hand washing and pass it unto our children . It should become a way of life for us. It is the first defense and the cheapest rally against ill health.”

Publisher of the Lagos Indicator Magazine whose organization produced the booklet, Mr Olatunji Oke said the purpose was to make a statement on the eight years of good governance by the former Governor and also to document  the processes, initiatives and activities that went into the conquering of the Ebola Virus Disease for the benefit of Nigerians and for posterity.

Also speaking, the former Special Adviser on Public Health, Dr Yewande Adeshina said apart from the plan that went into the defeat of Ebola in the State, the  Government then  also perfected a document for dealing with such unforeseeable occurrence in the future.