Ebola virus, with its devastating nature, broke out in 2014, mainly in Guinea, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sierra Leone. It resulted in about 28,000 cases and 11,300 deaths. Within the same year, 2014, it spread to Nigeria via Lagos on July 20, by an infected traveller who arrived from Liberia. The disease spread from Lagos to Port Harcourt, resulting in 20 cases and eight [8] deaths.
It was, however, curtailed effectively through rapid contact tracing and the combined efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, which promptly issued appropriate Advisory Circulars. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria was not left out. Lagos State Government, under the leadership of Barrister Babatunde Raji Fashola, assisted greatly with the provisions of medical facilities and personnel on a 24-hour services basis at the country’s main gateways in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Abuja.
Dr Stella Ameyo Adadevoh is credited with stopping the spread of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in Nigeria by correctly identifying the country’s index case, Patrick Sawyer, despite intense diplomatic pressure and legal threats to release him. The Federal Government had expectedly honoured Adadevoh posthumously for identifying the index case, resisting pressure to release the index case, enabling contract tracing and ultimately paid the supreme price and died on August 19, 2014. Her other colleagues who also died treating the index case, Patrick Sawyer, at the First Consultant Medical Centre in Lagos include Dr Akinniyi Fadipe, a medical doctor, Justina Ejelonu, A nurse and Ebele Ugochukwu, a nurse.
Ebola virus is spreading again, and the World Health Organisation is raising its voice to the whole World on the need to take the necessary precautions to curtail the spread. There is a popular maxim which says, ‘prevention is better than cure’.
The medical structures that were activated in 2014 are still very much in place at all the major gateways [International Airports] nationwide. The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has just recorded an impressive 91.45 per cent in the just-concluded International Civil Aviation Organisation assessment. Is not a chance outcome. The authority, at the last count, has over ten of its personnel who are ICAO licensed as International Safety Inspectors. The NCAA had, at one time or another, released its Inspector to other countries of the world to render technical assistance. Engr Akinola Bello was once in Sierra Leone as an Airworthiness Expert to assist in strengthening its Civil Aviation Authority.
We have Mr Ademola Oladele, who is currently working with ICAO in its regional office in Dakar, Senegal. Dr Wilfred Haggai was in Oman in the Middle East to assist in strengthening its Aero Medical capabilities. Not long ago, Dr Bernad Aliu, a Nigerian from Ondo State and a pioneer director of Air Transport Regulation in the NCAA, headed the ICAO Council for two terms of eight years, etc.
What the above translates into is that things are looking up for Aviation in Nigeria.
We will overcome Ebola then, and Nigeria will rise above Ebola again. Already, medical personnel are on red alert, and reports have it that states have heightened surveillance at borders, at seaports and at airports.
Similarly, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria have both activated their surveillance structures at all the gateways to nip it in the bud.
All that is required now, as was then, is effective collaboration, information gathering and sharing among agencies and government at all levels. We will win the war against Ebola again.
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