The body of the first victim of Ebola
Virus Disease in Nigeria, who died in
Lagos on Friday, has been cremated.
Details of the cremation were not
available at press time but Sunday
Vanguard gathered that the eveny
was witnessed by officials of the
Lagos State Ministry of Health and
the Nigeria Centre for Disease
Control, NCDC, led by its Project
Director, Professor Abdulsalam
Nasidi, among others.
The decision to cremate the body of
the victim, it was further gathered,
may not be unconnected with the
deadly nature of the Ebola Virus
which is known to be easily
transmissible from human to human
during handling of corpses of
victims.
The World Health Organisation
recommends that in communities
where there is an outbreak of Ebola,
appropriate containment measures
including burial of the dead should
be properly handled.
While stating that people who die
from Ebola should be promptly and
safely buried, WHO? notes that
cremation, which is the application
of high temperature to reduce
bodies to basic chemical
components (ashes),? is ideal for
safe disposal of bodies of persons
who die during outbreaks of highly
infectious diseases such as Ebola
Virus in order to minimise further
transmission.
In 2013 the Lagos State Government
introduced its Voluntary Cremation
Law under which a person may
signify interest to be cremated at
death or a deceased’s family
members who must attain the age of
18 years, can decide to have the
corpse cremated.
Under the law the state government
can also cremate unclaimed corpses
in its mortuaries after a period of
time and the ashes disposed after a
14-day notice with approval of the
Commissioner for Health.

www.vanguardngr.com/2014/07/body-ebola-victim-cremated-lagos/