By Abujah Racheal

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 says  available records show that there is a global decline in cases of COVID-19 and deaths.

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, who stated this at the PTF national briefing on Monday in Abuja,  said: “This trend in reduction compares with global observations of seeming decline in COVID -19 cases, signifying that the second wave may be receding.

“We are, however, not drawing conclusions yet and certainly not declaring victory but rather watching developments as they unfold nationally and internationally, ready to make use of comparative advantages that may emerge.

“We are intensifying the monitoring of COVID-19 positive cases, especially those that can self-isolate, by strengthening and improving the capacity of personnel, to manage home-based care.”

He, however, emphasised that those on home-based care should report to their hospital or case manager, immediately they experienced symptoms or felt their symptoms were getting worse.

“Experience has shown that COVID-19 disease can deteriorate suddenly and rapidly, resulting in life threatening severity that can be managed if presented early enough. Late presentation is a leading cause of increase in mortality.

“Findings from supportive supervision of treatment centres also indicate that vulnerable and ‘at risk’ persons are among those reluctant to accept hospital admission, especially if they have no severe symptoms. It is important to follow medical advice and comply with directives.

“The bed occupancy at our isolation and treatment centres is about 36 per cent, so there is sufficient bed space to comfortably accommodate patients and we stand ready to redistribute from heavy burden to lower burden hospitals, if the need arises,” Ehanire said.

He said there were reports of an offer of 300 million doses of Sputnik V vaccines to the AVATT portfolio, which would boost availability to 557 million, adding that it would be a great relief to the African region and also increased the variety of vaccines to four.

“The vaccine coordination committee will advise on the best options for Nigeria, bearing salient factors in mind. Nigeria is aware of official reports of large scale fraud and counterfeit vaccines that are already in circulation,” the minister said.

He explained that the country’s vaccine needs for this year were virtually fully satisfied by multilateral and bilateral original manufacturer sources, hence the ministry did not need to procure vaccines from private importers.

He added that no vaccine would be allowed into the country unless it was certified by NAFDAC.

“The need to involve the private sector in dispensing vaccines will be studied by the vaccine coordinating committee and NPHCDA, who have  the mandate to administer vaccines in Nigeria.

“We must, however, remember that the COVID-19 vaccine is not an ordinary routine vaccine but an unfamiliar, novel vaccine with properties that are still being studied.

“There may be effects during their administration, for which government must issue indemnification and take responsibility, which will not cover vaccines imported or administered privately, outside of legal framework.

“We applaud moves to support COVID-19 vaccine financing by the Nigerian private sector, which will be exclusively channelled through the account Nigeria has opened with the Afrexim Bank in Addis Ababa,” he said.

Speaking on Ebola and Nigeria’s preparation to forestall any outbreak, the minister said Nigeria was closely observing developments on its outbreak in Guinea and working with the West African Health Organisation (WAHO) to contain it and prevent the spread to other countries in the region.

“We are pleased to note that  ECOWAS countries adjacent to the epicenter are taking strict measures with regard to checking movement of persons.

“Our Port Health Service Officers are on high alert to step up border surveillance of travellers arriving by air or overland from destinations around the outbreak country to avert disease importation,” Ehanire said.

According to him, although Nigeria is classified as a moderate Ebola risk country because of its distance from Guinea, health workers in hospitals have also been put on alert to have a high index of suspicion.

“The population is hereby requested to report suspicious symptoms, including fever and bleeding in the community among recent arrivals from the West African subregion.

“I also use this opportunity to advise Nigerians intending to visit countries in the general area, to delay the visit, while WHO carries out support activities, including ring vaccinations.

“No increase in cases or fatality has been reported so far from Guinea,” he added. (NAN)

By Abujah Racheal

Vaccines

The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 says Nigeria will soon receive initial four million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines.

The Chairman of the PTF and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, disclosed this at the national routine briefing in Abuja on Monday.

Mustapha said: “The PTF has been assured that Nigeria shall receive the initial four million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines very soon and Nigerians will be adequately informed on developments.

“The multisectoral machinery will be deployed to enhance the logistics to the ‘last-mile administration’ processes that have been put in place. 

“This will involve community mobilisation, training, transportation, storage, operations, among others. The real work involves every sub-national entities, the communities, the citizens and the civil societies.”

He also said: “The issue of vaccines continues to dominate discussions and major policy and financial decisions by various countries of the world.

“As you are aware, NAFDAC in the course of the week granted emergency use authorisation for the use of AstraZeneca vaccines in Nigeria. This decision was reached after due process by the regulatory body.

“​Despite this milestone approval, which will obviously be a game changer, the PTF wishes to underscore the need to continue to take responsibility by observing all the non-pharmaceutical measures.

“Vaccines remain critical in the battle but we must remain well informed because of the intense transmission which is putting enormous pressure on the hospitals, intensive care units and health workers in our different communities.

“Let me state that decisions made by leaders and citizens will determine the level of our success in tackling the acute phase.

“The PTF wishes to reassure Nigerians that no stone will be left unturned in the effort to access safe and efficacious vaccines. We therefore plead for patience and vigilance. We also plead with Nigerians not to procure uncertified vaccines from the black market.”

Mustapha further said that the global cases of COVID-19 keeps reducing but Nigerians must be at alert to ensure that virus was defeated.

According to him, in terms of numbers, statistics show that global cases and deaths have continued to decline.

“Most countries have registered significant declines in cases but amongst the top five, the decline in Brazil is still minimal. The African region has shown high decline and South Africa continues to record a sustained daily decline in cases.”

On issues involving international travels and bans, he said: “At the last briefing we informed you on the emerging issues on international travels involving the Emirates and KLM airlines. Discussions are still ongoing through the Foreign Affairs and Aviation ministries.”

By Ikenna Osuoha

The Federal Government on Monday in Abuja restated its commitment to end the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) scourge in the country.

Mr Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the government’s position known at the 14th anniversary celebration of the National Agency for Control of AIDS (NACA).

HIV causes AIDS and interferes with the body’s ability to fight infections.

The virus can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or vaginal fluids. Within a few weeks of HIV infection, flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat and fatigue can occur, a condition that is usually asymptomatic until it progresses to AIDS.

The symptoms of AIDS include weight loss, fever or night sweats, fatigue and recurrent infections.

No cure exists for AIDS yet, but strict adherence to Anti-Retroviral (ARV) regimens can dramatically slow the
progress and prevent secondary infections and complications

The SGF, therefore, congratulated NACA “on 14 years of impactful response to the scourge” and assured the agency
of continued support.

Mustapha said that government’s domestic funding of the treatment of 50,000 people living with HIV yearly was in line with the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to stem the scourge.

He added that “through the visionary efforts of government, millions of people living with HIV have access to Anti Retroviral (ARV) drugs.  50,000 people living with HIV are already placed on treatment by the Federal Government yearly.”

Earlier, the Director General of NACA, Dr Gambo Aliyu, had scored the agency high in its journey so far.

Aliyu, who spoke on “National HIV Response Stewardship, Past, Present and Future’’, said the agency was on track in pursuance of its mandate.

He noted that at the commencement of NACA in 2007, the country’s HIV prevalence rate was 4.6 per cent, with 2.9 million people living with the virus, 212,508 on treatment and 251 treatment sites.

The director general said that the prevalence rate was reduced from 4.6 per cent to 3.4 per cent in 10 years, and the progress made so far was clearly spelt out by the National HIV/AIDS Impact and Indicator Survey (NAIIS) in 2018, which estimated 1.3 per cent prevalence rate.

Dr Erasmus Morah, the Country Director, UN Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), described NACA at 14 as “one in its best period of life.”

Morah congratulated the agency and urged its leadership to remain focused; adding that its efforts in the fight against HIV made Nigeria to be at the phase of achieving UNAIDS vision 90-90-90.

Mr Dozie Ezechukwu, the Executive Director, Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), also commended NACA “for living to its responsibilities.”

Ezechukwu called for stronger synergy between NACA and partners in ending HIV in the country.

Formerly called National Action Committee on AIDS, NACA was established to coordinate the various activities of HIV/AIDS in the country

Among other purposes, the agency is also to coordinate and sustain advocacy by all sectors and at all levels for HIV/AIDS/STDs, Expanded Responses in Nigeria; develop framework for collaboration and support from stakeholders for a multi-sectoral and multi-disciplinary response to HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, as well as develop and present to the Presidential Council on AIDS (PCA), all plans on HIV/AIDS in the country for policy decisions. (NAN)

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has registered 521 new cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 152,074.

The NCDC disclosed this on Sunday on its official Twitter handle.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the country’s daily COVID-19 infection rate has dropped below 1,000, for the fifth consecutive day.

The public health agency said it has tested 1,441,013 people since the index case was announced on Feb. 27 last year.

On Sunday, the NCDC recorded eight new COVID-19-related deaths, raising the total fatalities in Nigeria to 1,839.

The agency noted that the new infections were reported in 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the NCDC, the state-by state infections are as follows:  Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Adamawa and Ebonyi recorded 116, 52, 47, 37, and 37 cases respectively.

Akwa Ibom had 25 cases; Osun reported 21; Bayelsa-18; Kaduna-17; Oyo-16; Ekiti-14; Kano-12 and Edo-12.

Fifteen cases were also recorded in the FCT.

Nine cases of the virus infections were reported in Borno; Yobe had eight; Ondo;  six; Nasarawa reported four;  Bauchi two;  and Kwara had three cases.

The NCDC stated that 614 people have been discharged from the various isolation centres in the last 24 hours.

It noted that those discharged on Sunday included 228 community recoveries in Lagos State and 43 recoveries in Kwara, all managed in line with NCDC guidelines.

The public health agency said that the country has recorded 128,619 recoveries since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic last year.

It said that a multi-sector national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, is coordinating response activities nationwide.

The NCDC said that there were now 21,668 active cases across the country in the last 24 hours.

The number of COVID-19-inflicted deaths in Africa has reached 100,294 on Friday, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the African continent also stood at 3,796,354, according to the continental disease control and prevention agency’s Africa COVID-19 dashboard.

South Africa has reported the highest number of deaths related to COVID-19 in Africa, at 48,708, followed by Egypt, at 10,201, and Morocco, at 8,524.

The southern Africa region is the area most affected by COVID-19 in terms of the number of confirmed cases, followed by the northern Africa region.

A total of 3,346,404 people infected with COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, the agency said. (Xinhua/NAN)

By Justina Auta

An NGO, Women Aid Collective (WACOL), has trained Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)
on engaging legislatures to pass bills that will affect women’s development and follow-up on implementation.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day training was in collaboration with UN Women, under the Spotlight Initiative project.

Spotlight Initiative is a global, multi-year partnership between the European Union and the UN to eliminate all forms of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) around the globe.

Prof. Joy Ezeilo, the Founding Director of WACOL and former UN Special Reporteur on trafficking in persons, said the spike in VAWG during the lockdown that followed the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) had affected the entire globe.

Ezeilo, an international human rights lawyer, a scholar and activist, emphasised the need to strengthen and support CSOs on legislative engagements, treaty monitoring and shadow reporting for women’s rights, including ending VAWG in the country.

According to her, the lack of implementation of extant laws, as well as adequate laws and support services for victims and survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) has increased the cases of VAWG.

She said “the impunity at which the human rights of women and girls are violated calls for zero tolerance signal through accountability, and the best way to do accountability is through prosecution and sanction culprits.

“Women and girls based CSOs must understand the critical processes in legislative advocacy for women’s human rights and also international treaty obligations and their roles as civil society.”

She charged organisations to hold governments accountable through shadow reporting and monitoring of treaty implementation by all arms of government.

She also urged government to enact appropriate laws that would enhance gender equality and send signal of zero tolerance for VAWG, as well as encourage empowerment “so that women and girls can realise their full potential.

“Any violence that threatens the lives of women and girls is inhuman, degrading and it is the role of government to protect, respect extant laws, including the international laws and to remedy it if there is violation.

“We want an end to impunity and government should ensure that people who perpetrate violence are appropriately sanctioned in accordance with the law.”

Aisha Kaltungo, Director, Abuja Metropolitan Office, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), said that under the international declaration of human rights, all human beings are equal but society has made a demarcation whereby some rights are ascribed to men and others to women.

Kaltungo explained that there were provisions in Nigerian laws that condemn any form of GBV, regretting that poor implementation further exposed
more women and girls to various forms of violence.

“VAWG has been going on in the society and it is entrenched in the culture of silence, but right now, government, CSOs and human rights advocates are
pursuing advocacy for the elimination of the menace from the society.

“When there is a law against the act, it will go a long way to reduce the prevalence because there is this culture of impunity in the society where people feel
they can do anything and get away with it,” she said.

A participant and the Executive Director of Life Helpers Initiative, Tayo Fatinikun, stressed the need for government to implement existing laws that protect
the rights of women and girls.

Fatinikun described VAWG as “a big and terrible problem”, stressing that “if there were no enabling laws and policies, it would be difficult to achieve societal change.”

NAN reports that participants were drawn from Ebonyi, Cross River, Adamawa, Lagos, Sokoto and the FCT.(NAN)

By Rita Iliya
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in collaboration with the National Population Commission (NPC) says it is targeting to register 40,000 under five years ]children in Niger.

Alhaji Yahaya Gbongbo, State Director of NOA in Niger, disclosed this at a community reorientation and grassroots dialogue on increased birth registration in six Local Government Areas of the state in Minna on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the exercise is being supported by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

He said that 60 communities would be engaged during the exercise in Gbako, Bosso, Gurara, Edati, Mashegu and Mariga local government areas.

“Registration of birth has suffered setback either because the people are ignorant of the benefits or lack of information on how to access it,” he said.

Gbongbo said the exercise would commence on Feb. 23 at various designated centres in each of the local government areas.

Also speaking, Malam Uthman Baba, a Director with NPC, said the campaign would create awareness on the importance of birth certificate.

He urged parents to take advantage of the opportunity to get their wards registered.

In her remarks, Dr Amina Bello, wife of the Niger state governor, commended the state government and UNICEF for the support to NOA to carry out the exercise.

Bello, who was represented by Hajiya Kaltum Rufai, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs, solicited the support of the media to create awareness on the importance of the exercise.

Mr Wilfred Mamah, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, said that UNICEF was concerned about children birth registration as it was a certificate of life and account for them.

In his remarks, Alhaji Hussein Lemu, Chairman of Gbako local government, gave assurance to support and contribute towards the success of the exercise in the area.

By Abujah Racheal

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has reported  877 new cases of the  Coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the total number of infections in the country to 150,246.

The NCDC disclosed this on its official Twitter handle late Thursday.

It also registered additional 16 COVID-19 deaths, raising the total fatality in the country to 1,803 in the past 24 hours.

It said that the 877 new infections were reported from 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The agency reported that Lagos state recorded the highest number of the day followed by Kaduna state.

“Lagos-273, Kaduna-87, Rivers-58, Akwa Ibom-47, Ebonyi-47, Edo-46, Ogun-46, Abia-34, Imo-34, Kano-34, Oyo-26, Osun-22, and Gombe-20.

“Others are Ekiti-19, Cross River-15, FCT-15, Plateau-11, Enugu-nine, Kebbi-eight, Borno-seven, Niger-six, Bayelsa-five,  Nasarawa-four, and Kwara-two, while Katsina and Sokoto reported one case each,” it stated.

According to the agency, 126,417 people have been released from various isolation centres across the country  since the onset of the pandemic.

The public health agency said that cases discharged as of Thursday included 275 community recoveries in Lagos State and 91 community recoveries in Kwara State managed in line with its  guidelines.

It said that a multi-sectoral national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, is coordinating response activities nationwide.

The Nigeria’s public health institute said that there were now over 22 thousand active cases across the country in the last 24 hours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports  that the country has tested 1,441,013 people since the first confirmed case relating to the COVID-19 pandemic was announced on Feb. 27, 2020. (NAN)

The number of confirmed cases of the Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) has reached six, with two people having died, the health minister of the North Kivu province said.

The new outbreak of Ebola started in DR Congo in early February.

“Today we have confirmed two new cases (of Ebola).

“Now we have six cases, two people have died. The vaccination is underway,” Eugene Nzanzu Salita said on Thursday, as quoted by the 7sur7 news outlet.

The Ebola virus is transmitted to humans from wild animals and is estimated by the World Health Organisation to have a 50-per-cent fatality rate.

Ebola is named after the DR Congo’s Ebola River, near which the virus was discovered by Belgian microbiologist Peter Piot and his team in 1976.

The largest Ebola outbreak took place in West Africa in 2014-2015, with more than 11,000 people having died and some 28,000 cases having been reported.

By Cecilia Ologunagba 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Africa is getting ready to rollout COVID-19 vaccines as WHO hosted the African Health Ministers and deliberated on necessary steps to achieve the feat.

The WHO Regional Office for Africa, in a statement issued from its headquarters in Brazzaville, Congo on Thursday stated the continent was planning for a rapid vaccine rollout.

The statement said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa had on Wednesday briefed Health Ministers on the region’s overall state of readiness for Africa’s largest-ever immunisation drive.

She also briefed them on planned vaccines delivery dates and next steps, including documentation required by COVAX related to regulatory readiness, indemnity and liability agreements so vaccine manufacturers could schedule shipment dates.

According to the UN health agency, rapid vaccine rollout is expected in the wake of the WHO listing of two versions of the AstraZeneca-Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use.

“In a significant step forward for the African region, national deployment and vaccination plans for COVID-19 vaccines from 35 low-income African countries eligible for free vaccines from the COVAX Facility have been accepted by an independent regional review committee.

“The plans are required for countries to receive vaccines from COVAX, the global initiative to ensure fair access to COVID-19 vaccines led by WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

“While the regional committee of over 100 experts from six leading global public health bodies certified the deployment plans, it called for more work on setting up systems.

“It called for more work on setting up systems to manage the logistics and supply chain for vaccines, reaching refugees, migrants and internally displaced people and financing national vaccination campaigns,” said the statement.

The statement quoted Moeti, as saying, “Africa is revving up to rollout COVID-19 vaccines.

“These thorough vaccine preparation plans will help ensure African countries can hit the ground running in quickly immunising the most vulnerable people.

“Meticulous planning is key to ensuring vaccines reach all priority groups, wherever they are, in every single African country.”

The statement also quoted Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director, Country Programmes, GAVI, as saying, “COVAX is open for business.

“Thanks to secured avenues of supply through manufacturer deals and dose-sharing, clarity on global and regional supply forecasts, additional much-needed funding, and countries’ hard work to ensure readiness.

“The world now has its clearest pathway yet to ending the acute stage of this pandemic, globally.”

According to WHO, the move to roll out COVID-19 vaccines comes as new evidence shows new variants of the virus are spreading across the continent.

It stated that in all the African countries that had detected the new variants, the pandemic spread faster in the second wave than in the first one.

Variant 501Y.V2 [also known as B1.351] first identified in South Africa is predominant in South Africa and Zambia and has been detected in a total of nine African nations including Botswana, Comoros, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The VOC202012/01variant [also known as B1.1.7] first detected in the United Kingdom has been found in six African countries, Gambia, Ghana, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa.

In addition, it stated that countries were strongly urged to use the AstraZeneca vaccine even if the SARS-CoV-2 new variants are present.

“A small South African study has found the vaccine was not very effective against mild and moderate cases infected with the 501Y.V2 variant.

“After a review of all available data the WHO Strategic Advisory Group of Experts concluded that ongoing research suggests that the Astra Zeneca vaccine is likely to protect people against severe COVID-19

“However, this remains to be demonstrated in clinical trials and post-implementation evaluation,” WHO stated.

The statement further quoted Moeti, as saying, “our priority must be to protect the most vulnerable from severe illness and death. Along with rolling out safe and proven vaccines, we must also work towards a diverse vaccine portfolio.

“At the same time, manufacturers must be prepared to adjust to mutations of the virus, including potentially providing booster shots and adapted vaccines.”

WHO is helping countries ramp-up sequencing capacities to detect new variants. Since December 2020, there has been a 50 per cent increase in sequences produced by over 30 African countries. (NAN)