The Minister of Health, Prof
Onyebuchi Chukwu,has refuted media reports concerning an Ebola case of a
South African woman who was said to have manifested the symptoms at the
Murtala. Muhammed International Airport, Lagos on Thursday.He said through his Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dan Nwomeh, that the South African woman has tested negative for the Ebola virus disease.
However, Chukwu added that she is still being investigated for other diseases but for Ebola, laboratory result is negative.
Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr Rui Gama Vaz, has also debunked media reports on cautioning the federal and state governments against schools reopening, during his vist to the Lagos State Governor Raj Fashola.
A statement by the agecy’s communication officer, Ms Charity Wagnon, made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, stated, “At no time during the visit, did Dr. Vaz “caution the federal and state Governments against schools re-opening”, as erroneously reported in a section of the Media today, 12th September, 2014.”
However, Dr. Vaz who met with the Governor of Lagos, Fashola , has commended the prompt response and the enormous resources deployed to fight Ebola virus in the state.
The WR said that “understandably, the Ebola virus disease response requires coordinated effort from around the world, but ultimately, the success rests with the government of Nigeria and its multi-sectoral response”.
Dr. Vaz underscored that WHO staff will continue to provide the required technical expertise to surmount any eventuality.
He further explained that WHO and other partners will continue to work with the government to engage the media in Lagos to reinforce awareness creation on preventive measures.
He pointed out that wider dissemination of messages, especially with regards to high risk of traditional burial practices, mode of transmission and risk factors needs to be sustained and scaled-up.
Earlier, Dr. Vaz had visited the Ebola Laboratory at LUTH, the Ebola isolation Center at the Infectious Disease Hospital and the Dangote Foundation.
