Aside
from terrorism, threats to our lives are ceaselessly coming left,
right and centre, and we still seem uncertain as to when the next will hit us.
If it is not HIV/AIDS pandemic, it is the dreaded Lassa fever spread or bird
flu. If it is not Lassa fever or Bird flu, it is the ravaging viral
haemorrhagic fever, otherwise known as Ebola virus disease; and for some time
now electricity generator fumes occasioning deaths.
Electricity, as a form of energy supplied
through cables and wires for lighting, heating, and driving machines, helps to
power our technology and drive national development. Electricity generation
over the years has been from public sources. With perennial inefficiency in
power management over these years, and epileptic power supply that has
bedeviled our public power systems, Nigerians could not stand still but settle
for alternative sources. Electricity power generating sets become that ready
option open to most people for home comfort and business productivity. Abused
usages of these generators have had life-threatening consequences and deserve
attention to avert occurrences.
Showing posts with label Lassa Fever. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lassa Fever. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Thursday, February 15, 2018
Polio, Lassa And Yellow Fever: Where Is The Political Will?
By Patrick Dele Cole
Since the conception
of Nigeria
as an independent country it has struggled with a number of deadly viruses and
diseases. The most prominent and reoccurring have been polio, Lassa fever and
yellow fever. These three have plagued parts of the country for many years and
appear sporadically, peaking and dipping throughout the country’s history.
Under colonial rule vaccinations were kept for the expatriates and British
citizens in the country. The indigenous population was mostly ignored and this
allowed the viruses to spread unchecked throughout the country. It wasn’t until
later in the country’s history that measures were taken to slow the spread and
commence eradication of the disease.
The return of the
polio virus in 2016 sparked a mass emergency vaccination campaign. The return
was seen in two young children in the Northern part of the country, in areas
affected by the Boko Haram insurgency. The return of the polio virus is especially
disheartening for the country because it was a year away from being declared
polio free by the World Health Organisation (WHO). WHO guidelines state a
country must not experience any new cases of the wild polio virus for three
years before being declared polio free. The return of polio can be attributed
to presence of Boko Haram. The insurgency has made it very difficult to get
necessary treatment and vaccines to that area of the country, allowing polio to
creep back in.
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