| |
Red Cross alert on
epidemics
By Sun News Publishing
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Nigerian Red Cross recently lent its weight to the outcry
against the ravages of measles, meningitis and cholera in
nine states in Nigeria with a warning on the vulnerability
of no less than five million Nigerians to epidemics of these
health emergencies. The agency said the five million people
at risk of the infections are mostly children, and called
for sensitization of the people to the problem, mobilization
of preventive resources and increased capacity to effectively
respond to the epidemics when they occur.
The Chairperson of the Epidemics Sensitization Committee of
the Nigeria Red Cross, Mrs. Helen Mark, warned that Sokoto,
Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa and Borno
states, which had reported occurrences of the diseases in
recent months, are still at risk. The agency disclosed further
that measles had been reported in 34 local government areas
of Katsina State while Borno and Sokoto states reported the
infection in eight and six local government areas respectively.
Meningitis, unfortunately, took its toll on 11 local government
areas of Kebbi and 10 in Sokoto, with regrettable casualties.
A sum of N20 million was reported to have been expended on
massive sensitization campaigns and workshops to enlighten
people in the area on the causes, modes of transition and
strategies for preventing the diseases in the affected areas,
according to Mark.
We welcome the warning of the Red Cross on the risk posed
to five million Nigerians by the identified diseases. The
alert is a timely one, given the recent onslaught of the infections
in the Northern part of the country, and the need to prevent
an epidemic of the life-threatening conditions which our health
facilities may not be able to cope with.
The warning from the Red Cross should serve as a wake up call
on all tiers government in the country not to rest on their
oars in the effort to halt the scourge of the infections.
The health ministries and the mass mobilization agencies
and organs at both the federal, state, local government, town
and village levels, should be involved in the effort to sensitize
all Nigerians to the possible outbreak of epidemics of these
infections. The people need to be empowered with information
that could reduce their risk of contracting these diseases
and what to do in the event of their occurrence. As we had
occasion to advise recently, schools, churches, traditional
rulers, the media, youth, social, and women’s groups
should be enlisted in the sensitization campaigns.
Since the diseases are immunizable, the government should
step up efforts in this direction after the people have been
educated on the exigency of the intervention.
Child immunization for measles, a cardinal health programme,
should be pursued with renewed vigour. All traditional and
religious attitudes, suspicions and superstitions, and the
technical constraints against achievement of full immunization
coverage of children, especially in the affected areas, should
be tackled with every seriousness.
The importance of cleanliness in the battle against cholera
and other diseases should be communicated to the people while
the government lives up to the responsibility of the provision
of safe drinking water in every part of the country. The health
implication of overcrowded living conditions, which have been
indicated in meningitis epidemics, especially during the hot
and dry season, should be communicated to the people, even
as the problem of housing for the poor, especially in the
rural communities in the North, should be addressed.
We believe that the government has a responsibility to provide
an enabling environment for the optimal health of all citizens.
More money and other resources should be budgeted for these
efforts.
There should be a closer monitoring of funds appropriated
to health institutions and agencies. A reduction in corruption
in the application of the funds in this sector and other areas
of national life should free more funds for investments with
direct bearing on the health and welfare of the people.
|
