Director-General, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Abdulsalam Nasidi has announced that the federal government is set to establish Ebola Survival Clinic in Lagos or Ibadan.
Nigeria was declared Ebola free exactly a year ago. While fielding questions from newsmen, Nasidi said “The clinic has the component of the follow up, where we will be monitoring what happens to Ebola survivors daily.
“The clinic was established by the Nigeria contingent to assist survivors in Sierra Leone, and it has gone a long way in bringing us to proper understanding what is happening to Ebola survivors.
“But in Nigeria, we do not practice it. We have come to realise with all the relapses and new pattern of epidemiology of Ebola, that we should now establish the clinic in Nigeria.’’
He also added that national honours should be given to late Dr Adedavoh and many officers who risk their lives in the fight against EVD.
Mr Linus Awute, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health also added that “In the past one year, Nigeria has not lowered her guard. We remain vigilant through enhanced surveillance, not only for Ebola but also for all diseases that constitute public health emergencies.”
“Most recently evidence of sexual transmission of the disease by survivors carrying the virus in their semen and vaginal secretions was discovered.
“These recent developments have changed our understanding of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of this disease.
“We have therefore held on to the fact that Nigeria Ebola freedom is not going to be full celebration until the transmission of the disease in the human population reaches zero in West Africa.”