When One sees the reactionary approach, instead of proactive approach adopted by the government of Nigeria in tackling epidemics such as Coronavirus, it shows how unprepared we are. No clear cut policy or procedures to tackle such issues. Today, they say we stay at home, tomorrow they say we go to markets from 10am to 2pm, no clear policy on whether or not to wear nose masks, inadequately equipped hospitals, not knowing when to fumigate, not taking the issue of re-contamination to account and many more. To this end, some well meaning Nigerians, like the one quoted below (as written in 2014) has made efforts to reach the government of Nigeria on how best to manage such issues by creation of Biosecurity Commission in Nigeria.

Sometime in 2014, the world was jolted by Ebola Hemorrhagic Virus when Dr. Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian-American who manifested its symptoms and died in Lagos Nigeria and subsequently infected and killed Dr Mrs Adedevoh, the brave Doctor that treated the importer of the virus. All the Nigerian government did was to place some pieces of information in the media on how Nigerians could avoid contracting the deadly virus. During Ebola case, few well meaning Nigerians proffered solutions as to the creation of a Biosecurity Agency (or Commision) to take care of such issues.


Apart from Ebola, other invasive biological diseases have been imported into the country due to inadequate preparedness of government to anticipate occurrence of an exotic disease outbreak. Currently, the world is battling with Coronavirus (also called Corona Virus Disease 2019 - COVID-19) with over 66502 deaths from 1,2235,035 infected persons, as at today. Of this rising figures, Nigeria has recorded 5 deaths from 210 confirmed cases. The COVID-19, which originated from Wuhan, China (which has since come out of the pandemic), also called big man disease because most Nigerians are poor, only very few percentage of Nigerians (the rich and middle Class - if it exists) can afford air travel.


Even when the first case of COVID-19 was reported on 28 February this year when an Italian was tested positive and later recovered, Nigerians were not properly instructed towards necessary preventive measures to curtail its spread. This clearly indicated that there was no preparedness for such occurrences. As must have become obvious now, since Ebola, there were no structures in place for dealing with these kinds of situations as we find ourselves now.


However, efforts of the government of the day in managing the pandemic has to be appreciated but they are reactive measures instead of proactive measures from what I now know BioSecurity to be. The suggestion to create a Biosecurity Commission to coordinate every biosecurity activities as was proposed by the Author of the letter which extract is attached below, which ought to include Public Health, Agriculture and Laboratory Biosecurity activities need to be considered by Government of the day.

Sources: https://www.operanewsapp.com/ng/en/share/detail?news_id=13e225f2993e3805c142609487d7ea9a&news_entry_id=scf31600200406en_ng&open_type=tanscoded&request_id=e316f8ec309ce3f080e052b709557166e51a3806&from=publisher&fbclid=IwAR2aWDIu72wXtK_FcHBb4bGHZWQf_mWF3ukRSsKhnNX1vM4ZPINp08uaMDY

https://twitter.com/naijadrivablog/status/1247117379672383488

mynd44, lalasticlala, Seun

part B of the letter

Seen

We should pray that coronavirus does not escalate in Africa because, it could become endemic (if other continents come out of it). Lack of clear cut policy on biosecurity could make the virus stay longer in Africa, long before other continents have passed its resilience stage. Bill Gates did ward that coronavirus could affect 10million Africans and I agree with him. Very poor healthcare infrastructure, lack of biosecurity measures, little palliatives (which is politicised) given to citizens so as to encourage them to stay at home and many more are factors.

If there is appropriate biosecurity in place, after the first case of coronavirus in Nigeria, EVERY citizen coming into the country from then would be quarantined and Nigeria borders closed forthwith.

Seun, this is an intellectual discuss

I discussed this with a friend yesterday ..All countries will need one going forward

GamalNasser:
I discussed this with a friend yesterday ..All countries will need one going forward

Biosecurity you mean?

NaijadrivaCars:


Biosecurity you mean?

Yes a Biosecurity commission under the presidency or Ministry of Defense

GamalNasser:


Yes a Biosecurity commission under the presidency or Ministry of Defense

Biosecurity shouldnt be under the purview of the Military but Public Health, Agriculture and Laboratory Biosecurity.

It is a multidisciplinary issue.

NaijadrivaCars:


Biosecurity shouldnt be under the purview of the Military but Public Health, Agriculture and Laboratory Biosecurity.

It is a multidisciplinary issue.

The commission should have experts from all the Fields you have mentioned but as it's now we can see bombs and guns will not be the greatest threat to a nation but Biosecurity will be ..Bio security should the top item in National security

GamalNasser:


The commission should have experts from all the Fields you have mentioned but as it's now we can see bombs and guns will not be the greatest threat to a nation but Biosecurity will be ..Bio security should the top item in National security

If the government considered the contents of the said letter (as posted above), perhaps, we would have a functional Biosecurity protocols at every POI in this country.