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Ebola Still A Scare For West African Countries

The Ebola Virus Disease has continued to claim lives in few West African countries and unfortunately, we are dealing with a disease more deadly than … Continue reading Ebola Still A Scare For West African Countries


Ebola patient Held By health workersThe Ebola Virus Disease has continued to claim lives in few West African countries and unfortunately, we are dealing with a disease more deadly than the aids virus.

The crisis has been described as a war and this underscores the expediency with which scientists across the world are trying to discover a solution – a pill, capsule or anything that could be described as a cure for the disease.

But there is one sure way of curbing the virus, and that is; not getting infected at all!

Doctors have emphasised the need for greater caution paid to cleanliness, both personal hygiene, and surroundings, and the non-consumption of certain meats that may be harbouring the virus.

Different countries around the world are taking measures to identify and contain the spread of the disease.

Apart from screening at the airports, countries are now adopting a non-entry policy for countries with recorded cases of the Ebola Virus.

International experts say the shutting of borders against countries such as Nigeria, has grave consequences, which could hinder the resumption of normal relations between them.

Professor Bolaji Akinyemi has just finished his assignment at the national conference in Abuja, but he expressed his thoughts on the issue, in a phone conversation.

“It is an indictment in their so called neighbourliness and friendship with Nigeria.

“Borders are so wide and open that you can only monitor the official entry points.

“Shutting borders is an act of hostility which is so unnecessary. It is an anti-friendly neighbourliness that Nigeria should frown at.

“Any country that closes border should feel the negative repercussion of such an action. The countries should be declared a hostile country which means they will not benefit anything from Nigeria when the Ebola issue is over,” he said.

On Monday, a British physician that the United Nations has appointed to coordinate the global response to the crisis, David Nabarro, was in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown for the fifth day of a tour of the region and he said that the halting of flights to countries where cases of Ebola has been recorded was affecting efforts to tackle the disease.

“The effort to defeat Ebola is not a battle but a war which requires everybody working together, hard and effectively,” he told a news conference.

“I hope it will be done in six months but we have to do it until it is completed.”

Nabarro said airlines halting flights to and from the countries that have been afflicted by the outbreak in West Africa were making the UN’s efforts “a whole lot harder”.

The Ebola Virus Disease has claimed at least 1,400 persons since it broke out in February this year.