www.finabiz..com/2014/08/ebola-virus-hand-sanitisers-turn-gold.html
Since the death of the Nigerian nurse, who was among those who attended to the Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer, who brought Ebola virus to Nigeria from Liberia, panic-stricken Nigerians have resorted to ways of preventing the killer virus.
One of these, among others, is the use of hand sanitisers after health authorities advised that Nigerians should maintain hygienic lifestyle, including washing of hands frequently, to prevent the disease. Following this, the prices of hand sanitisers have gone up astronomically as people are in mad rush for the products.
There are 10 confirmed cases of Ebola disease in Nigeria while about 177 people who may have come into contact with the virus are being monitored or isolated in Lagos, health minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said on Monday.
The death toll from the highly contagious Ebola disease has
climbed to 1,013 since it was discovered in Guinea in February, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Antibacterial hand sanitisers are marketed to the public as an effective way to “wash one’s hands” when traditional soap and water are not available.
Uche, a supervisor at GVS supermarket located at Amuwo Odofin, said that Lagosians were in mad rush for hand sanitisers. According to him, “In the section currently, we have run out of stock especially Dettol hand sanitiser and the supplier says it is not in the market now.”
Benedicta Dickson, a supervisor at Leadmart supermarket in Festac, revealed that Lagosians have been patronising the shopping mall for hand sanitisers. Benedicta said, “For now they have Dettol which sells for N1050, 50ml as against N950 or N1000 in some other shops, Germ free sells for N980, 60ml while 250ml sells for N2900. The Lovillea jelly cologne (small size) is N420 while the big size sells for N500. Forever Living Product of hand sanitiser sells for N2500.”
Patience Ugwu, a front desk attendant at CareForte Pharmacy at Apapa, noted that the demand for hand sanitiser is on the rise.
At GB store in Ejigbo, Lagos and adjoining pharmacy the same story was relayed to BusinessDay.
At JustRite megastores, Otta, Ogun State, the attendants said the products are unavailable because people came in droves to buy out their stock.
In Benin, some pharmaceutical stores have run out of the product thereby necessitating those that are in need to ask for the product outside the state capital.
A visit to Zero Pharmaceutical Stores along Airport Road in Benin shows that the Dettol brand of instant hand sanitiser has gone out of stock while only few bottles of Temizleme Jeli brand were available in the stores.
A source at the pharmaceutical store said the product has suddenly become a fast moving consumer good following the introduction of Ebola virus into the country.
According to him, “We just finished the sales of the ones we have in stock few days ago. A bottle of Dettol brand was sold at N450. But just yesterday we bought this new brand called Temizleme Jeli instant hand sanitiser. The cost is N800 and we finished selling about two out of the three cartons we bought.”
In some major supermarkets and pharmacies in Abuja, according to an online newswire, the products are either unavailable or their prices have gone up.
At a popular supermarket and pharmacy, H-Medix, at Wuse 2, there were no hand sanitisers as at the time of visit. “We don’t have hand sanitisers now. The products are scarce. The demand for them is very high now. You know it is because of this Ebola thing,” one of the store attendants said.
“Before, the price of some of the hand sanitisers we sell was about N300, but now we sell the small bottle for N500.” At the Amigo supermarket, which is in the same axis as H-Medix, the products were also unavailable. An attendant said: “Hand sanitisers are scarce now, but we will have the products soon. One small bottle is N650 now; before, it was N350. Demand determines the price.”
The hand sanitiser scarcity is as a result of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Federal Ministry of Health’s advice on sanitary regulations as one of the preventive measures of the EVD should soap for frequent hand washing not be available.
Onyebuchi Chukwu, minister of health, said that hand sanitiser does not kill bacteria or viruses but makes the human hand inhospitable to them.