Nigeria: Ebola – Nigeria Is in Danger – Govt
By Isiaka Wakili
AllAfrica.com
10 April 2014
The Federal Government has raised the alarm that Nigeria is now in danger of an outbreak of Ebola fever.
Health Minister Onyebuchi Chukwu told State House correspondents after yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting that the government has realised that Ebola is a real threat.
He said: “Ebola has been moving eastwards towards Nigeria as well and we’re already facing danger from Central African Republic, even with what’s happening in Congo. People are also migrating to Chad. Chad and Cameroon are also in our borders. So, Nigeria is in danger”.
According to him, bats which spread Ebola are seen by some Nigerians as bush meat.
He said: “bats eat fruits as well. So, sometimes, if you go and pluck fruits that they (bats) have contaminated with the virus, someone can get infected.”
The minister, who advocated personal hygiene, said the government had approved radio and television jingles to be aired in various languages as well as newspaper adverts to sensitize and educate Nigerians on the Ebola fever.
“It’s true that as at today, we’ve not been able to report a single case of Ebola. But mind you, Ebola is not the only threat; it’s an added threat because West Africa never had a single case of Ebola until this year. It was more in Central Africa. But now, we’ve added it to the ones that are even more native to West Africa, which is Lassa fever,” Chukwu said.
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