Coronavirus: Health minister lists 12 ways Nigeria is fighting Covid-19 pandemic
- Nigeria's minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, participated at the 73rd World Health Assembly which was held virtually
- Ehanire briefed the assembly the efforts and progress made by the Nigerian government in combating the ravaging coronavirus pandemic
- Imposition of lockdown, provision of palliative, hazard bonuses and PPE for health workers are some of the measures highlighted by the health minister
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Nigeria's minister of health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has listed various measures Nigeria is putting in place to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement made available by the Ministry of Health's senior information officer, Blessing Efem, on Monday, May 18, said Ehanire briefed the 73rd World Health Assembly which was held virtually of the efforts and progress made by the Nigerian government in combating the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
The assembly was attended by the delegation from all World Health Organization (WHO) members states.
1. Pre-Covid-19 plan
The health minister said Nigeria had put in place important measures well before its index case was confirmed. The measures include; early screening with thermal scanners, collection of health and travel history information from arriving passengers at all points of entry, and strengthening infection prevention and control measures.
2. Covid-19 index case
According to Ehanire, Nigeria sets up a Task Force on COVID-19 with the discovery of the first index case in February 2020.
Among other functions, the task force is coordinating a multi-sectoral effort to contain Covid-19 spread, mitigate the impact on citizens’ lives, provide policy direction, set priorities and mobilize resources to support and coordinate the national emergency operation.
3. Five-week lockdown
To contain the spread of the deadly virus, Dr Ehanire said Nigeria imposed a five-week lockdown in four "high burden states". He, however, disclosed that the lockdown “has been relaxed to allow essential economic activities.”
4. Shutdown of airports, ban on inter-state travels, curfew
The health minister also said that “all land, air and sea borders have been sealed" to avoid the importation of Covid-19 to Nigeria.
He added that there is also an inter-state travel ban in place to avoid state to state transmission.
Ehanire added that there is a nationwide dust to dawn curfew as well as mandatory supervised 14 days quarantine for persons arriving Nigeria.
5. Increased Covid-19 testing
Dr Ehanire also told the World Health Assembly that Nigeria has scaled up testing, surveillance risk communication, isolation and case management capacity.
6. Hazard bonuses for health workers and the provision of PPE
The minister of health also said the country's frontline health workers are being provided with hazard bonuses and insurance cover.
He added that they are also being trained to curtail infection in the line of duty.
“Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), diagnostic, medical devices and kits have been supplied to health care facilities," he added.
7. Mandatory use of face masks
Ehanire also told the world health assembly that the Nigerian government has ordered compulsory use of face mask to avoid contagion.
8. Collaboration with the private sector
The health minister said the government is collaborating with the private sector in its response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
9. Economic sustainability
To mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the economy, Dr Ehanire said the government has set up a National Economic Sustainability Committee.
The committee has been tasked to "develop a comprehensive response to socio-economic disruptions and distraction caused by the pandemic and chart away into the post-COVID-19 era,” Ehanire added.
10. Palliative
To cushion the effects of the hardship caused by the pandemic on the citizenry, Ehanire said a state-sponsored stimulus package has been made available.
This is to help micro, small and medium scale enterprise to recovery.
Social palliatives are also put in place to alleviate impact on the poor and vulnerable.
11. Participating in WHO-led solidarity drug trials
Dr Ehanire also confirmed that Nigeria is participating in and supporting the WHO-led solidarity drug trials and other research initiatives aimed at finding vaccines and developing treatment options.
11. Rebuilding the health system
Ehanire said Nigeria “is studying options to rebuild its health system, using all lessons learnt from this pandemic and have made it a point to keep essential non-COVID-19 health services alive especially Reproduction Maternal Newborn Child Health (RMNCH) and immunization at primary health care level.”
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Meanwhile, the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has extended the gradual easing of the lockdown by two weeks across the nation.
This was disclosed by the PTF chairman and secretary to the government of the federation, Boss Mustapha.
He announced this on Monday, May 18, during the daily briefing of the task force in Abuja.
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