In recent years, deadly disease outbreaks have been reported in Nigeria ranging from Lassa fever to Ebola and now Meningitis. You may wonder why this is so. The reasons are not far-fetched and they include
1. Ignorance :
Imagine a country where a Political leader said Meningitis is a punishment for sexual immorality. The Governor of Zamfara was alleged to have said Meningitis outbreak is a punishment from God for sexual sins
2. Poor Emergency Surveillance and Response:
The Nigerian health system lacks ability to quickly detect diseases before they become an epidemic (that is an outbreak). The Minister of Health-Prof Isaac Adewole confirmed this as the cause of the recent Meningitis outbreak that has now killed over 700 people
3. Poorly motivated health workers
The Nigerian health workers are so badly treated that most of our doctors run away to developed countries for greener pastures, some abandon medical practice for other things while recently a doctor committed suicide!
4. Little emphasis on Primary Healthcare
The world over, emphasis is placed on Primary Healthcare as being the base of a health system. Most Nigerian leaders focus more on treating specific disease like tuberculosis, HIV and on tertiary hospitals
[b]5. Hospital as a haven of infections:
http://drmyke..com.ng/2017/04/why-ebola-outbreak-may-soon-happen-in.html