. As NCS fears community spread among inmates
. Climate, health actions can save 1.6m lives annually — WHO
Jonas Ezieke, Abuja with Agency report
The House of Representatives, the Nigeria Correctional Service NCS and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC and other public health institutions have called for concerted effort of public health institutions and the general public to the dangers of community spread of Ebola disease and other publc health challenges.
This is as the Joint House Committees on Infections Diseases, Healthcare Services, Aviation and Interior have held a one-day public hearing of stakeholders on the need to contain the outbreak of the spread of Ebola Virus Disease on Tuesday in Abuja
The Speaker House of Representatives Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCS Mr Sylvester Nwakuche and the Director-General Nigeria Center for Disease Control NCDC Dr Jide Idris canvassed these positions sesperately in their presentations at a public hearing.
Speaker Abbas stated that the recente report of the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in some countries in Africa and the recent report of an imported case in Nigeria remind us that public health and national security are inseparable.
He noted that in an increasingly interconnected world the outbreak of a disease can become an issue of public health concern to all
The Speaker further said that the responses to these disease must not be due to absence of threat rather it is to be done with utmost vigilance.
He commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health, Port Health Services, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control NCDC and other agencies for the response, including contact tracing and isolation of the index cases in the country.
Also speaking in th same vein, the Controller-General of the Nigeria Correctional Service NCS Mr Sylvester Nwakuche said that the prevention and control of the spread of Infectious diseases requires the concerted efforts of all sectors of government.
He further stated that this responsibility is particularly significant to the Nigeria Correctional Service NCS due to the peculiar nature of custodial centres.
He warned of the dangers of community spread of Ebola and other infectious diseases due overcrowding and poor sanitation.
On the risk factors, he stated that the major risk factor is the concentration of inmates within custodial facilities
Others include the lack of provision of inadequate accommodation and sanitation facilities.
Earlier in opening remarks, the Chairman of the House Joint Committee, Hon.Amobi Ogar said that the public hearing is both timely and imperative due to the urgency to contain the spread of the Ebola virus disease.
He stated that the need to strengthen preventive and emergency medical care against the ailment is key in order to douse the intense apprehension and confusion generated by the news of Ebola virus outbreak.
Meanwhile, World Health Organisation said on Wednesday that implementing a few climate and health measures could save nearly 1.6 million lives a year and generate trillions of dollars for the economy.
The UN agency’s report, released days before the COP31 climate change conference kicks off, proposed heat-health warning systems and climate-resilient infrastructure for drinking water and sanitation.
Improved hand hygiene, cleaner household energy sources and more efficient fossil fuel pricing were also on the list.
“The climate crisis is a health crisis, but much of the harm it causes can be prevented with tools we already have,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement.
The WHO’s report said rolling out six concrete measures could provide “a triple dividend” of “healthier people, lower emissions, and stronger economies”.
The report said the measures could help avoid 16.7 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, in addition to saving lives.
The measures could also generate up to $5.4 trillion in fiscal benefits each year, as well as a nearly $4 trillion economic boost by saving lives, avoiding disasters and reducing healthcare costs.
The WHO acknowledged that the study relied on ambitious scenarios and that data gaps and inherent uncertainties shaped the projections.
But Tedros maintained that the report showed how “scaling up proven, affordable actions could save millions of lives, with the greatest gains in the countries that need them most”.
As global leaders prepare to head to the COP31 in Turkey next week, he urged them to ensure that protecting health is at “the centre of climate action”.
For a better society
_______________________________
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
