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| Photo source: logbaby.com |
Despite last
month’s declaration that Nigeria no longer had any case of Ebola Virus
Disease (EVD), the World Health Organization (WHO) says Nigeria can’t be
officially designated Ebola-free until October 20, The Cable reports.
WHO country representative, Dr Ruiz
Vaz, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at a meeting of medical experts
convened to discuss ways of finding effective treatment for Ebola
and reviewing available treatment options for the disease.
Vaz said Nigeria will have to
wait until October 20 (after the 42-day follow up period) to be certified free
of the virus.
“After the 42-day follow-up period,
if there are no new cases, WHO will confirm Nigeria Ebola-free,” he said.
Meanwhile, speaking at the
meeting, Professor Innocent Ujah, co-chairman of the Treatment Research Group
(TRG) on Ebola, which was inaugurated on August 4 by health minister, disclosed
that the group had reviewed several treatment options, and verified and vetted
all suggestions made to the health minister as possible medical counter-measures
for the management of the disease.
Ujah stated that TRG had
successfully served as a gatekeeper to sieve through various claims of
treatment and cure for Ebola.
“To date, TRG has identified and
recommended to the federal government three experimental vaccines for further
clinical evaluation, as well as a candidate treatment drug as low-hanging
fruits to improve management and control of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in
Nigeria,” he said.
He further said that the high level
experts’ meeting was expected to provide a platform to review current national
efforts and available resources, facilitate discourse and develop a roadmap for
research on Ebola and other emerging diseases.
Members of TRG on Ebola are: Prof K. S.
Gamaniel, Prof M. Iwu, Prof A. Nasidi, Dr N. S. Gwarzo, Dr B. Okoeguale and Dr
A. Ogu.
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