Ebola in Nigeria: Joshua Ojo urges information without panic
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
After Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case, Professor Joshua Ojo called for the public to be informed about prevention measures rather than being driven into panic. He said the country could control the disease through appropriate awareness-raising, according to Punch, which reported his remarks at a conference on the environment and health in Osogbo.
Professor Joshua Ojo, president of the LivingScience Foundation and a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, urged Nigerians on Wednesday to learn about Ebola prevention measures without giving in to panic, following confirmation of the country’s first case. Panic could worsen the health crisis, he told journalists on the sidelines of the 11th National Conference on Environment and Health, held in Osogbo, according to Punch.
Joshua Ojo said the Ebola virus is not transmitted through the air and that a person becomes contagious only when symptoms appear. He said appropriate health education would enable Nigeria to control the disease, alongside contact tracing in Nigeria.
The researcher also called for the legal framework and resources of NAFDAC, Nigeria’s food and drug control agency, to be strengthened, along with those of the agency responsible for tackling environmental standards. He also stressed the importance of sanitation, saying vaccines should not be seen as the only response to diseases, according to Punch.
Summary produced with the help of artificial intelligence tools, under AFREEQUE’s editorial responsibility.
