WHO Country Representative in Nigeria Dr. Rui Dama Gaz has now declared Nigeria #Ebola Virus Disease free. The press conference was energetic.
After six weeks with no new cases. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Ruiz Vaz, had, at meeting in Abuja in October 9, said WHO will confirm Nigeria Ebola-free after a 42-day follow-up.
“After the 42-day follow-up period, if there are no new cases, WHO will confirm Nigeria Ebola-free,” Vaz said.
The said meeting was convened by medical experts to discuss ways of finding effective treatment for Ebola and reviewing available treatment options for the disease
We are Africa's most populous country won praise for its swift response after an infected Liberian diplomat brought the disease there in July.
The World Health Organization officially declared Senegal Ebola-free on Friday.
The current outbreak has killed more than 4,500 people in West Africa, most in Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone
An estimated 70% of those infected have died in those countries. The World Health Organization can officially declare an Ebola outbreak over if two incubation periods of 21 days pass with no new cases.
The last reported case in Nigeria was discovered on 5 September and the last quarantined person went home October 2nd 2014
This was a joint collective effort by the Ministry of Health, several healthcare workers, even people like me, medical reporters who sat in front of computers filing story after story, newscast after newscast and using social media to get the message out.
Now to educate the rest of the world, I wrote the NTA article that everyone is talking about which NTA said was their second most read story on their website.
How Americans can learn from us instead of dwelling in unnecessary panic and howling about banning people, flights and anything West African. I even started to tweet the CDC (Center For Disease Control) in America as I didn't want to be stigmatized at any airport for being Nigerian or have my adult kids be in fear coming here.
In the midst of it all there was Stella Ameyo Adadevoh, her nurses including Justin Elejonu who stopped the infection from spreading from the source. Patrick Sawyer was the Liberian man who imported the virus into Nigeria.
All ADADEVOH'S NURSES and she herself have since died. The other doctor Iyke Enemuo also died in Port Harcourt. His sister who was infected spoke at THE MEETING OF BEING A SURVIVOR.
We had seven deaths including 5 healthcare workers, 19 diagnosed and over 900 in medical isolation aka quarantined.
We are pleased and out of the woods but will NEVER let our guard down. Look to us!!
ARISE O COMPATRIOTS!
Nigerians Call was Obeyed!
#DRKOO
@HealthReports @HNNAfrica
With files from Nigerian Tribune, NTA, BBC and @Healthreports
