EBOLA THREAT: THE NEED TO ENSURE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES ARE TAKEN BEFORE THE RESUMPTION OF SCHOOLS

By Zim Gbemre

With the recent announcement by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau in Abuja, after an emergency meeting with the state commissioners for Education, that all private and public primary and secondary schools will resume September 22, 2014, we strongly urge that steps should also be taken by the Government to ensure that all schools (both Federal and State schools), should embark on immediate sensitization of teaching and non-teaching staff in schools (and even parents and the pupils/students as well), on “preventive measures” against the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

This should be carried out overwhelmingly and properly across every Federal and States Government schools as well as Private schools across the country, especially those in the rural areas of Nigeria. It is only when these “preventive measures” and proper sensitization of the ‘deadliness’ of the EVD is ascertained, that the Federal Government should then think of fixing a resumption date for schools.  This means the new reviewed school resumption date of September 22, 2014 is not realistically advisable for the safety of our school children. 

The reviewed resumption date for public and private primary and secondary schools made public recently, was a reverse of the initial October 13, 2014 resumption date approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC. It is believed that the Federal Government had considered the option of keeping all schools closed as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease, but with this reviewed date, it is more needful for the Government to realize the danger in its hastiness on school resumption.

We believe the Government has not done enough to ensure that Federal Secondary and Primary Schools are properly sensitized on prevention measures against EVD and provided with relevant testing/screening kits to adequately detect symptoms of the EVD on both staff/non-staff and pupils/students as well. The various State Governments across the Federation have not been able to equally do same in public and private Schools in their States as well. All of these measures and steps ought to be in place and taken adequately before any new resumption date for schools is made public.

It is no news that the Ebola Virus Disease is one of the most deadly and difficult disease to curtail and cure in Africa. This is largely because the Ebola Virus Disease is a highly contagious disease and there are no specific treatments or vaccine for the disease at the moment. There is still no clinically proven drug or vaccine to stop the virus as many are still in experimental stage. Experimental drugs such as ZMapp, which has been used in seven patients including a British volunteer nurse who recovered more recently, have been assessed. However, the supply of the experimental drug is very limited. Though, the World Health Organization (WHO) said efforts were underway to increase production, but this would take several months. It takes between 2 to 21 days after exposure to the virus for someone to feel sick and show the signs and symptoms of Ebola Virus Disease. But with the nature of our children and their ‘playful habits’ of hugging, touching, putting hands in their mouth/on the floor/or any other surface, it will be extremely difficult to curtail the spread of EVD once it finds its way into any school.

At the moment, with the threat of EVD, Health is far more important than Education. And our children with their ‘innocence’ and immune system, needs to be properly protected from this deadly disease. The Federal Government should also instruct the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), and the Authorities heading Muslims in the country, to direct all its members/worshipers on the need to adopt “preventive measure” to avoid the contact and spread of EVD. The Children section of Churches for instance should be adequately catered for to ensure caution against EVD are adopted and practiced. More sensitization and enlightenment campaigns needs to be adopted by Federal, States and Local Governments levels to properly educate Nigerians, especially in the rural areas, on the “dangers of the Ebola Virus Disease” and how its spread can be ‘prevented’.

The use of every means available, including “Town-Criers” in rural areas, should be adopted to ensure this. It is sad that a lot of Nigerians are still not taking the Ebola Virus Disease seriously as they should. Like HIV/AIDS, a lot of Nigerians still do not believe the Ebola Virus Disease is in existence and it is very deadly. Some are even skeptical, superstitious, and doubtful of the possibility of its spread that can adversely affect their health. That is why we believe the Nigerian Government at all levels still has a lot of ‘home work’ to do in educating Nigerians about the dangers and seriousness of EVD. This is not something that should be down-played or treated with kid-gloves or insincerity. The “hygienic culture” in Nigeria is very poor when compared to that of developed countries, which is why the West is of the view that the Ebola Virus Disease is for the developing countries of Africa.

The EVD has killed more than 2,000 people in the latest outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The situation in Liberia is even far worse as scores have been reported dead or quarantined as a result of the EVD. Recent reports have suggested that the EVD in Liberia has gone out of control and the Liberian Government are seriously seeking for assistance from the US and other countries to come to their aid. The Nigeria Government and Health Authorities should not wait for things to get really bad like that of Liberia before they take things more seriously.

Medical experts however say survivors can develop antibodies of the virus in their blood, capable of providing a fair degree of immunity from further infection. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Vaccines for the virus could be available for use on the frontline by November 2014. But as the world’s seeks desperate ways of containing the spread, WHO also said that the affected countries should use the blood of patients who have recovered from the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), in treating other patients. But until then, preventive measures should be taken more seriously to prevent the spread of the EVD, especially for our children with regards to their schools resumption date.

Many Nigerians have disagreed with the new directive by the Federal Government that all private and public primary and secondary schools should resume September 22. Reacting to the report on the September 22 resumption date for schools, a lot of Nigerians wondered why the Federal Government postponed resumption in the first place, asking which is wise of re-opening schools and ensuring a disease-free society. Corper Basil from Abia state said: “One thing I like about Ebola is that even the Minister is not safe. I don’t know what is wrong with our leaders. That is how they were so reluctant on Boko haram initially; now see the nature of our security. Bet me, if out of their ignorance, the resumption of schools goes awry, Liberia will be better than Nigeria on EVD.” A respondent from DailyPost also said: “These people are grossly incompetent. How could they think it is okay for schools to resume in September when d country is still on a high red alert. I thought the Minister of Health assured that the EVD was only in Lagos and boom another case in Port-Harcourt. These people (government officials) have their children studying abroad and that’s why they care less – just like the missing Chibok girls. EVD should never have entered Nigeria if Chukwu (Health Minister) had taken appropriate precautionary measures.”

Another respondent, Ren, advised the Minister of Education to withdraw the latest directive, saying a dead child cannot be educated. “The current health situation in the country is far more pressing than academic matters. Nigerians should stand up and protest against school resumption.” Florence Obafemi, adding her voice posited: “It is not for the good of our children because it is difficult to tell little children not to play with others. Our innocent children must be protected at all cost. Forget the cry of some private school owners. Some are protesting because of the money they are losing due to the postponement.” Bassey, another respondent on his part, posed series of questions: “Can someone please tell me what is wrong with our leaders? What is the rush all about? Is one month to wait for Ebola to be eradicated in the country too much? If there was war in the country, won’t the schools wait ? If the private schools want to open, let them go ahead and do so, but they must sign an undertaken in case anything goes wrong in the lives of our children. We are just too careless in this part of the world.” Another Nigerian also asked when the Federal Government started caring about the future of the young ones. According to him, “Teachers/lecturers can be on strike for as long as possible, yet there would not be any intervention. Poor people are always at the receiving end; their children are either grown-ups or not resident in Nigeria. God help the masses!”

Joining the debate, an anonymous commentator insisted that the previous resumption date (13th of October) remains the best choice as it will give the government time to think on how to resolve the issue better. Continuing, “I personally would never allow my kids resume while the Ebola issue is still very much at hand. So please I am begging the government on behalf of my family to let be 13th of October”. Supporting the government decision, however, one of the respondents, Michael, opined that since the Minister of Health has deemed it fit that schools re-open on September 22, 2014, the directive should be respected. Welcoming the new date, a supporter stated that the academic career of the children would be affected if schools remain shut. While another, Promise by name, called on Nigerians to “leave everything to God because children can get Ebola Virus Disease at home or in school. We should keep praying against further outbreak,” Another angle to the discussion was taken by Alake, who opposed calls by some persons that other states can open classrooms on September 22, while schools in Lagos and Port-Harcourt remain shut till next month.

Whatever the case maybe, it is obvious that a lot of Nigerians are not comfortable with the Federal Government’s directive on the latest school resumption date. This is simply because the Government has not done enough to assure Nigerians that indeed, they are on top of the situation regarding the Ebola Virus containment. However, like we rightly advised above, we believe with the right precautionary measures and adequate sensitization amongst the populace, the country will win this battle against the EVD and its possible spread. Nigerians, especially those in the rural areas and the uneducated, should be properly sensitized and enlightened on everything about the Ebola Virus Disease. People need to know what the Ebola Virus Disease is all about. Where is Ebola found? Where do cases of Ebola Virus occur? How is Ebola Virus Disease spread? What are the symptoms of Ebola Virus? Who is at risk? And most importantly, how does one protect himself and prevent the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease? People should also be educated on the need to present themselves if they discover to be infected or develop symptoms of the deadly disease for proper isolation and treatment.

Truthfully, with this sort of disease, Nigeria should consider itself lucky that the Ebola Virus came into the country and spread through those considered as the elites or middle-class Nigerians and not the down-trodden or the poor masses. If the EVD had started amongst the low masses, we are sure the disease would have spread like wildfire.

In as much as we appreciate the efforts made so far by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government and the Government of Rivers State, in preventing to a large degree, the spread of the EVD by curtailing the cases recorded, we however urge that more concerted efforts and ‘sincerity of purpose should be put in on every hour of a daily, so as to stop the further spread of the Ebola Virus Disease to unimaginable proportions. The reported Diplomat escapee that left isolation center in Lagos to Port-Harcourt and ended up infecting a Doctor that treated him, is still a mystery to Nigerians as to what and how exactly it happened. If it was not for the said Doctor’s death, Nigerian would not have known that the Ebola Virus Disease has spread to Port-Harcourt River State. This is why we believe the Nigerian Government at all levels have not really done enough to address this problem with the seriousness it deserves. The measures put in place to screen people coming in and out of the nation’s various airports should be strengthened. Our land borders should also not be left out.

The truth is that, there is no better time other than now for the Nigerian Government at all levels to enforce every arsenal it can muster to prevent and curtail the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease. Like they say, “Prevention is better than Cure”. And that is why we also advise the Government not to be in a haste to open/resume all public and private primary and Junior/Senior Secondary Schools across the country. Their Education can wait for a month for this dreaded disease to be given the needed attention.

Zik Gbemre, JP

National Coordinator Niger Delta Peace Coaliton (NDPC)