As the Ebola Epidemic in parts of West African continues to claim more victims particularly in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the response from authorities in West Africa's most populous country has less than adequate. Ebola has claimed more than five hundred lives since the outbreak began more than five months ago, the worst outbreak since the disease came to prominence in the 70's. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the countries at the epicentre of this outbreak. While health authorities in Guinea have been able to contain the spread of the disease and reduce the number of new cases, Liberia and Sierra Leone continue to report new daily cases of infection. The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is unique because it is the first outbreak to be reported in urban cities unlike previous outbreaks which have been restricted to rural villages.
It is also the first outbreak to strike different countries simultaneously. The prevalence of the disease in urban centres has raised concerns about the likelihood of spreading to neighbouring countries. These concerns came to the fore last week when a passenger on board a flight from Monrovia, the Liberian capital to Lagos, Nigeria's commercial capital, came down with symptoms consistent with the Ebola virus.
Apart from a few TV appearances by Nigeria's health minister warning Nigerian's about the disease, authorities in Nigeria are doing very little to prevent a potentially catastrophic outbreak in Nigeria. An outbreak of the disease in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country would indeed be devastating. Doctors in public hospitals in Nigeria are currently on strike, increasing the likelihood of potential unreported cases. Aviation and transport authorities in Nigeria also did not deem it fit to close Nigeria,s airspace to flights from the affected countries. Arik Air, the Nigerian carrier that handles flights across West African region has announced the cancellation of flights to and from the affected countries. A voluntary measure announced by the Airline and not under the urging of Nigeria's transport and aviation authorities who have adopted the sit and look approach to the outbreak.
At a two day summit in Ghana, ministers from countries such as Mali, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Congo, Guinea, far away Uganda, and representatives from countries at the epicentre of the outbreak, resolved to increase surveillances of the disease and mobilise community and political leadership towards tackling the spread of the disease. Nigeria was conspicuously absent at the summit. Private hospitals and clinics in Nigeria are receiving very little orientation or equipment for tackling potential or suspected cases of the disease. It is currently unknown if health authorities have deployed officials to the country's borders and ports to screen incoming travellers.
An outbreak of the Ebola Virus in Nigeria would indeed be very catastrophic. Nigeria should set up an inter agency committee to mobilise its response in preventing any outbreak and immediately curbing any potential outbreak. The ministries of health, information, transport, emergency services, science and technology and communication should be part of such committee. There may also be the need to set up a National Ebola Emergency Response unit to handle any reported cases of the disease and to enable quick identification or diagnosis of infected persons. Public and Private hospitals should be mandated to immediately set up Isolation units for the treatment of any potential reported cases of the disease. Public sector doctors should immediately be called back to work from their strike and given the necessary orientation and equipment for preventing and tackling any potential outbreak. There should be massive public enlightenment on the disease.
An outbreak of the Ebola Virus in Africa's most populous country will probably have the same devastating effect as the bubonic plague in Europe and will be a potential threat to the rest of Africa.