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| Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by EloSela(f): 10:26am On May 01, 2009 |
Swine Flu: Nigeria’s Free, Says Osotimehin 05.01.2009 Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin , has come out strong that Nigeria has not recorded any trace of the swine-flu that is spreading fast across the world. He made this statement during an emergency meeting of stakeholders and partners on Swine Flu in his office. "So far as at 30th April 2009, Nigeria has not recorded any suspected case of Swine flu and the Federal Government of Nigeria is prepared to contain any outbreak of Swine Flu in the country," he said. In order to promptly detect and effectively respond to any suspected case, the Ministry has put in place the National Epidemic Preparedness and Response Committee to include State Commissioners of Health among other very important stakeholders. The WHO case definition with surveillance guidelines and Swine Flu Laboratory guidelines had been disseminated to all States Ministries of Health including clinicians. The States' Epidemiologists have also been directed to carry out sensitisation activities and conduct surveillance in their various states. He stressed further that surveillance had been strengthened at all ports of entry into the country and all Federal Port Health Services Officers sensitised and are at alert at all international airports. Meanwhile, Chief Veterinary Officer of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture , Dr. Junaidu Maina, has said that the Swine Flu is a human disease, as there has been no scientific proof that it is transmitted from pig but from human to human. The Country Representative of the World Health Organization, WHO has reiterated the WHO's commitment in addressing the possible outbreak of the Swine Flu. http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=142272 [size=20pt] Nigeria on Alert for Swine Flu[/size] By Gilbert da Costa Abuja 28 April 2009 Nigerian health authorities are on full alert to watch out for possible cases of swine flu in Africa's most populous nation. The government has set up a committee to monitor the situation and co-ordinate with the World Health Organization. No case of swine flu has been reported in Nigeria, but the country has joined the race to contain the deadly outbreak of the influenza virus. Health Minister Babatunde Osotimehin says Nigeria is focused on early detection and response in an attempt to check a possible outbreak in the country. "As we speak, there is no known case of swine flu in Nigeria," said Osotimehin. "But we are not going to wait for it to occur before we take adequate steps. We have constituted a committee that is putting surveillance in place to detect cases if they occur." The virus is blamed for more than 150 deaths in Mexico. In at least 10 other countries, there have been confirmed or suspected cases, none of them fatal. Several countries are investigating suspected cases. The World Health Organization called for all nations to "intensify surveillance." The health minister says Nigeria has placed its ports on high alert. "An alert has gone out to our colleagues at the airports and seaports to look out for this because they will have to come from abroad, since we do not have any case in this country at this point in time," said Osotimehin. Swine flu is caused by a virus similar to a flu virus that infects people every year, but it is a strain typically found only in pigs, or in people who have direct contact with pigs. Serious concerns have been expressed about Africa's capacity to deal with a pandemic, given the poor state of health infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria is still grappling with a bird-flu outbreak, years after it was first detected. http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-04-28-voa20.cfm |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Badriyyah(f): 10:40am On May 01, 2009 |
I hope it stays like that. I don't think Nigeria needs something like this right now. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by PapaBrowne(m): 11:03am On May 01, 2009 |
Badriyyah: I hope so too! I also hope to are prepared for even the remotest possibility. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by vigasimple(m): 12:48pm On May 01, 2009 |
1. Do they have the facilities to test whether or not we have the swine flu 2. Even if they do, do they know how to use it or have personnel 3. Nigerian govt propably don't care as there are more deadly diseases they know of that they did not do anything about it. 4. The leaders will propably fly to GERMANY to get an ailment including flu and malaria treated or accompany such leader with estacode allowance more than the costs of a small decent hospital in Nigeria. 5. If the foundation is faulty, what can the righteous do, the foundation, especially that of our leaders are very faulty to the point that we are simply window dressing. I prayed like most well meaning Nigerians that we don't have no outbreak of any major disease, even the President may not want to do anything as already he is struggling now. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Fhemmmy: 1:01pm On May 01, 2009 |
They wish. How many sickness is being reported? How do they know that the next body that will be scooped off the yaba road is not by swine flu? How do they know that the barracks are not infected already? before nigerians starts jumping up for joy, i think they need to first ask the dude to provide us with stats of the last few years of sickness in the nation and stats of deaths and causes. What a nation? I remember they used to say, young shall grow, now we are almost 50, should we now say mid-age shall grow older? what a shame? |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by systems: 2:36pm On May 01, 2009 |
EloSela: |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by ElRazur: 2:45pm On May 01, 2009 |
With poor record keeping, lack of facilities, lack of technical know-how, erm I personally know what to believe and what to take with a pinch of salt. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by blacksta(m): 2:59pm On May 01, 2009 |
Biggest propaganda - That is how Yar adua's team said that Nigeria is insulated from the Global financial Meltdown. Can the minister let the public know how he arrived at this conclusion. 1. What have they tested and where ? . 2. Have they started a mass campaign on how to detect or identify the symptoms of swine flu. 3. Do we have enough antivirus vaccines in storage just in case ( Britain has a stock pile of over 30 Million anti flu vaccines in storage) 4. Do we have monitoring teams at all the ports 5. Where are the health centers to go for advice or vaccines Because i know it is Nigeria and also we lack the technical and infrastructure for all the above . That minister is a bloody liar. when will these people face reality. I pray in thename of Jesus - that non is found within Nigeria - It is Unfortunate we have losers as leaders who cant handle malaria or polio. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Fhemmmy: 3:08pm On May 01, 2009 |
blacksta: I join you in that prayer, however, our health system needs to do their job as well, test well and not just look for camera man. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by EloSela(f): 5:49pm On May 01, 2009 |
I pray Nigeria gets this right because an outbreak in the country would spell disaster. If I were in charge all foreign visitors from the us and mexico would be screened as soon as they landed. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Horus(m): 6:39pm On May 01, 2009 |
blacksta: I agree, and they talk only about human-to-human transmission of the virus in Nigeria, but what about swine-to-human transmission in Nigeria. They dont give us a statistics on the number of swines in Nigeria and they dont know if some swine are infected. Where is the result of tests on all the swines?.How much swines there is in Nigeria?. How much swine are "healthy"in Nigeria? |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Nobody: 7:30pm On May 01, 2009 |
Fhemmmy:  A big SHAME indeed bro, The young shall die  |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Fhemmmy: 8:28pm On May 01, 2009 |
I just pray they get their ass ready to deal with the shock. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by blacksta(m): 9:13pm On May 01, 2009 |
Fhemmmy: no chance. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by SapeleGuy: 12:06am On May 02, 2009 |
Let us try and defeat malaria first. Die nah die - how we go come let pig come overtake mosquito? Hopefully, these kind and compassionate advanced nations will let the developing ones make Tamiflu under generic licensing in the interest of humanity but don't hold your breath. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by kaypumpin2(m): 12:08am On May 02, 2009 |
Soludo did say the global meltdown will not affect Nigeria  |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by sosisi(f): 12:55am On May 02, 2009 |
blacksta: Don't mind them. Nigeria is swine flu free indeed. All those people sneezing and coughing all over the place,who is monitoring them. Tuberculosis is as common as indomie nooddles,who's checking that like they have the resorces to do anything about an outbreak. what happened to the recent lassa fever outbreak? Weren't people dying like flies until the thing ran it's course. Malaria has been eliminated in many countries,why don't they start from there? |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by sbo(m): 1:52am On May 02, 2009 |
[/quote][quote author=blacksta link=topic=267739.msg3808315#msg3808315 date=1241186358] I understand that the Govt has ordered for 2 million flu vaccines(!), for a population of 150 million. How ironic, Britain has a stockpile of 30 million for a population of 80 million. However we can afford to order 4 bullet-proof SUV's for the Speaker of the House of Rep. It really shows where our priorities lie. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by rasputinn(m): 9:19am On May 02, 2009 |
Here we go again with unguarded and irresponsibly reckless comments by our government officials. That was how a former official went ranting about that Nigeria wasn't a part of the global community hence was immune to the global meltdown  |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by PurestBoy(m): 10:04am On May 02, 2009 |
Swine Flu Free my ass |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by ElRazur: 10:23am On May 02, 2009 |
sbo: Yes it is true, and as we speak an approach to the vaccine have already begin. As for Nigeria, one things comes to mind "Never underestimate the power of stupidity" |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by rasputinn(m): 10:34am On May 02, 2009 |
Then why this FG orders for 2million doses of swine flu drug By Niyi Odebode and Oyetunji Abioye Published: Saturday, 2 May 2009 The Federal Government has placed an order for 2million doses of a drug that will be used to tackle the rampaging swine flu pathogen in the event that it enters Nigeria, Saturday Punch has learnt. The disclosure was made exclusively to Saturday Punch after the paper made specific enquiries about Nigeria’s preparednes at the Federal Ministry of Health on Friday. The Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Communication, Mr Niyi Ojuolape, also reiterated that there was no case of the flu in Nigeria. As of Friday, about 500 confirmed cases of the flu had been recorded in the United States; Mexico; Canada; New Zealand; Spain; United Kingdom; Germany; Israel; Austria; Costa Rica; Peru; Switzerland and The Netherlands. Skip to next paragraph KEMI ASHEFON Prof. Babatunde Osotimehin, Minister of Health Twelve people have reportedly died of the disease in Mexico, while the death of a 23-month-old child was recorded in the US on Thursday. “The Federal Government has begun the process of emergency procurement of additional doses and stockpile in case we have human cases.We are anticipating to have two million doses of the drug (Tamiflu),” Ojuolape, who answered initial enquiries by email, said. Later when our correspondent requested for further clarifications by telephone, he confirmed that government had indeed placed an order for the drug, saying, “Yes, we have placed an order for it.” He, however, did not give the cost of the drug. He said Nigeria only had about 100,000 doses of the drug at the moment. According to him, government does not envisage that the outbreak of the disease will be massive, if it gets to Nigeria, He said, ”In countries that the disease has occurred, the total number of cases that have been recorded has not exceeded 500.” Ojuolape said the country’s present stock of Tamiflu was procured last year for treating the bird flu, which recorded only one human victim in the country. ”The drugs are already in the states, but if there is any state requiring additional stocks, we have machinery with which we can get the drug to such a state.” According to him, Tamiflu, which is manufactured by a Swiss pharmaceutical company, Roche, has been distributed to 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. He added that the drugs were stored at federal and states‘ ministries of health stores as well as some hospitals in all the states. When asked how many people could be treated with 100,000 doses of the drug, the minister stated, ”We should remember that for Avian Flu, we had only one confirmed human case so far. We think from the past experience and lessons learnt from other outbreaks, we will not have a lot of cases.” According to him, if a lot of cases are recorded, more procurement will be made within a very short time. Meanwhile, as governments all over the world rush to equip their airports with thermal scanners, the Federal Government is yet to do so. This situation is contrary to government‘s promise, at the beginning of the week, that scanners would be installed at all entry points to screen people coming into the country. Saturday Punch‘s findings showed that, rather than the sophisticated scanners, health officials are using unrealiable disposable thermometers. Our correspondent, who paid a visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Thursday, did not see any thermal scanner at the arrival lounge of the country‘s foremost airport. The thermal scanners are special scanners that screen passengers as they disembark from an aircraft, showing their body temperatures on screens monitored by health officials. For example, some of the thermal scanners deployed in some Asian countries are configured in such a way that passengers with temperature above 37C are quickly identified and isolated. Since high bodily temperature is one of the symptoms of the swine flu the thermal scanner is considered as one of the important first line preventive measures of stemming the spread of the flu. Experts say that the non-deployment of the scanners could defeat the strenuous efforts that the Minister of Health, Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, has made in the last days to combat the flu. However, the minister tried to play down the importance of scanners insisting that government‘s efforts were adequate. ”There are no machines with which you can scan and identify viruses at the ports. If such scanners exist, the United States and Mexico would have installed them. It will take laboratory tests for us to identify and isolate viruses. ”What was meant was the fact that we are going to mount surveillance, through our officials at the airports so that we can detect as soon as possible the entry of anybody with the virus. Note that it is carried by humans and not necessarily airborne per se. Further to this, government has directed that all aircraft arriving the country be checked and cleaned up to ensure that both passengers and luggage have no trace of the influenza in them. Also, starting from today (Friday), port health authorities are to board planes arriving to try to identify anyone with flu with a view to clinically testing them in order to track down the entry of the flu by anyone.” Officials of Port Heath Services at the Lagos airport, who refused to speak on record, confirmed to our correspondent that the equipment had not been installed but that they were presently using disposable thermometers to measure passengers‘ temperature. They also said that no case had been discovered yet. Experts have, however, said that using thermometers to measure passengers‘ temperatures may lead to a situation where impatient health staff may overlook those that ought to be checked. Our correspondent observed that due to the volume of passengers, it is difficult for PHS workers to test every passenger with the disposable thermometer. The Port Health Services, which had issued an alert on the swine flu to airport managers and immigration, now has two stands located ahead of the immigration desk arrival hall, an arrangement that makes them passengers‘ first contact point. Aviation and medical experts have said that Nigeria would have to be vigilant since its people travel a lot and is a country that is visited by people from different countries. The Head, Public Affairs, Murtala Muhammed International Airport , Lagos, of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , Mr. Ola Ogundolapo, said that there were flights coming into the country from the various countries the flu had affected, on a daily basis. There are seven weekly flights from United Stated of America into Nigeria through Delta Airlines. There are about 60 weekly flights from various parts of Europe to Nigeria through British Airways, Air France, KLM, Turkish Airline, Lufthansa and others. However, he said that all agencies working at the airport had been put on alert by the Federal Ministry of Health through the Public Health Department‘s Port Health Services at the Lagos and Abuja airports, and that masks, gloves and thermometer had been made available to them. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Remii(m): 12:10pm On May 02, 2009 |
All I can advise is for everyone to be careful and vigilant for anyone with suspicious sickness with reported symptoms of the Swine Flu Disease. Nigerian Government and its officials are not known to give "bad news" even if it is the truth. They are all trained to play the Ostrich. They tell you one thing one radio and television and direct opposite happens and they will still maintain what they said without any remorse's. Like African China song" You see Black They would tell say that thing na WHITE. So just as you take care of your own electricity, children education etc, TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Horus(m): 12:33pm On May 02, 2009 |
all agencies working at the airport had been put on alert by the Federal Ministry of Health through the Public Health Department‘s Port Health Services at the Lagos and Abuja airports, and that masks, gloves and thermometer had been made available to them. So how can masks and gloves can stop the virus to enter at airports?.Can someone explain to me? |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Skywalker5(m): 12:37pm On May 02, 2009 |
Horus: Please anybody to the question ooo.i am waiting Kai Naija |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by ElRazur: 12:42pm On May 02, 2009 |
Horus: The whole idea of issuing gloves and mask is to curtail the spread rate - The transmission rate of the virus. It at least potentially stops those having the virus to spread it on, and those free from the virus catching it. Virus are almost inactive in certain states, having no viable condition to thrive in is one of them. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Horus(m): 12:53pm On May 02, 2009 |
ElRazur:I see!!, So gloves and masks cannot stop the virus to enter Nigeria,and gloves and masks cannot detect the virus. Are we safe?  |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by philip0906(m): 1:06pm On May 02, 2009 |
may all those pigs that roam d steets neva have d virus nd then spread it 2 nigerians nd every body says AMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN! |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by Theblessed(f): 2:11pm On May 02, 2009 |
As if the Minister and his government care about how many of you swine flu left behind after its horicane. What infractracture has Nigeria in place to fight this. Imagine it! It took almost 20 year of Hiv/Aids epidemic before Nigeria was woken up by WHO to do something at least and protect/support its citizens who have fallen victims of this dreadful disease and now, this. Forget about it, they won't do one inch of anything - and if you catch it, like most things in Nigeria, you are on your own to 6ft deep. Shall we bet on it Don't mind this loud and big mouthed Minister who should go die with his lies, shame! Look, there are so many of you! Just over 150 million people in Nigeria. The government don't give a tosh about how many survived the epidemic. The earlier the swine flu got there the better and that means, no stress or worrying about flu vaccines for this strain of influenza, ok! So, muje mana!!! |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by blacksta(m): 2:22pm On May 02, 2009 |
Theblessed: Nigeria summed up in a sentence. |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by axeman85(m): 12:25am On May 03, 2009 |
How are we to even be sure that those checking sef dont have the flu in their system ? there are talking about about screening passengers from abroad, i bet if you go to these hospitals you will not fine dis so called medicing in stock and even if you do dey will as you to come and pay. personally i just think all is propagada, jst to show nigerians dat dere are also doing sumtin which we all know its a smoke screen. personally i wont let any body touch me because even the atmosphere of the airport sef fit give person swine flu sef. rubbishe we are talking about proper screening machines dey are talking about gloves and mask, is it the smelling general hospital dey want to go and put infected people., RUBBISH |
| Re: Nigeria Swine Flu Free_says Minister_of Health by blackweaver(m): 2:12pm On May 03, 2009 |
i'm ot sure it will be serious over here anyway if nobody dis of a sickness in this country the sickness is not considered serious; besides how many people go to the hospital just because the have flu (cold) unless it becomes very serious i doubt there'll be any report of the infection over here |
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