- To Commission Ministerial Experts Advisory Committee
- Targets 2 Million Testing
By Gbenga Abulude
The Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire on Monday warned Nigerians and state governments against lowering guards and measures put in place to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the recent decline in the number of confirmed cases in the country.
The figures look good but according to the Minister, it can be deceptive and it cannot be established yet that the curve is flattening since due diligence has not been perfected.
Ehanire gave the hint at the Presidential Task Force briefing on Covid-19 in Abuja, adding that testing has reduced greatly due to a reduction in sample collection across many states for unjustifiable reasons.
Giving instances, the Minister said Lagos tested over 35,000 in July and less than 20,000 in August, while Kano dropped from 23,000 in July to less than 4,000 in August.
“These are just examples that show that there is more work to do and many more challenges ahead,” says Ehanire.
Unfolding strategies to tackle the development, the Minister plans to commission a study group of the Ministerial Experts Advisory Committee to begin processes that will examine this development and bring up new knowledge that will guide government policy.
“With a total of 1,013 deaths recorded so far, the case fatality rate has also dropped slightly to 1.88%, the gradual fall is possibly an indication of improvement in response and treatment strategies to contain Covid-19 and also a common global trend. As long as we still record deaths from this disease, there is no room for complacency until we meet our goal to reduce fatality rate to less than 1%.”
“Our target is to test 2 million Nigerians for covid-19, of which we have achieved barely a quarter and to scale up to 4 million persons. For this, collaboration with State and FCT health sector structures is crucial. We urge all State organs not to relent in strengthening surveillance and setting up sample collection sites in all LGAs, and even in all wards of the hotspot LGAs”, he explained.
Ehanire stated that Nigeria recorded only 138 Covid-19 positive cases on Sunday, which is one of the lowest numbers in many months, giving a total of 53,865 positive cases out of 403,347 tests conducted as of August 31, 2020. He also said 199 patients were discharged from hospital on Sunday, taking the total number of successful treatment to 41,513 patients.
He added that, the logistics for sample retrieval and testing must be assured, as the Federal government makes provision for at least one laboratory in every State, with only Niger, Kebbi and Taraba now outstanding. Most of the laboratories are, however, operating well below capacity.
Plans have been concluded to set up and optimize laboratories in all states, he said.
Ehanire pointed out that, “as Lagos and Abuja airports reopen for commercial international flight, we must raise our vigilance level. It is our collective interest and responsibility to guard against new cases entering our country undetected.
“In this regard, we must review our protocols to ensure early detection, isolation and treatment of any positive case. While this protocol may cause inconvenience, like delays at the airport, it is a small price to pay for our safety and health, especially for travellers.
“Our contribution as individuals is simple: to keep each other safe by wearing our masks and observing social measures.”
