Executive Secretary, National Primary Health Care Development Agency,
Mohammed Ado, has said the World Health Organisation has commended Nigeria’s handling of the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in the country.
He also said the world body has urged Nigeria to provide expertise and build the capacity of other countries in the sub-region.
Ado said the commendation was made when President Goodluck Jonathan met with the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Margaret Chan, on the successful containment of the
Ebola Virus Disease in the country and the effective transmission polio
myelitis.
He also disclosed WHO is set to announce Nigeria as the next country to exit the list of polio endemic country having successfully reduced the burden by 95 per cent between 2013 and 2014.
Ado said: “Mr. President had interaction with WHO DG, we discussed the issue
of polio myelitis and she commended Mr. President for the leadership and
effective management that had led to effective transmission polio myelitis in Nigeria and also containing the Ebola virus outbreak. And
Nigeria was well commended because Mr. President demonstrated highest level of leadership and other countries were called upon to emulate the good work of Mr. President.
“You will recall that for polio myelitis between 2013 and 2014 Nigeria was
able to reduce by 95 per cent the burden in the country. Nigeria is being
tipped as the next country to exist from polio endemic country and was again commended by all countries and the leadership of Mr. President was appreciated by WHO and other countries were called upon to emulate Nigeria’s example”.
On the new committee on Ebola and how Nigeria can benefit from it, Ado said,
“Nigeria’s roll in containing the Ebola outbreak in the country was well commended and other countries were called upon to emulate us. In fact one
key thing that came out from the meeting between Mr. President and WHO DG
was for other countries to benefit from Nigeria’s expertise in terms of
containing Ebola and Nigeria is going to support other countries in terms
of capacity building, in terms of the emergency operation centers that we
used.
Because the emergency operation center that we used which is the
holding room arrangement which was used to contain the Ebola outbreak in
Nigeria. So Nigeria will be supporting other countries in terms of capacity
building and human resource because already we have about 500 human
resource available to assist other countries within the west African sub
region.
“So what this means is that public health system in Nigeria is working and
working very well under the leadership of minister of health and with the
overhead oversight of Mr president. So lots of good things are happening in
Nigeria and is obvious that Nigeria is providing that leadership in the
Sub-region in terms of containing the Ebola virus”, he said.
