China extols Nigeria’s Ebola fight

Ebola, still rampant in West Africa, broke out earlier this year and has spread to Europe and the United States. The epidemic has claimed the lives of 4,922 people and more than 13,000 confirmed infection cases, mostly in the three hardest-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.When the Ebola virus was carried into Nigeria […]

Ebola, still rampant in West Africa, broke out earlier this year and has spread to Europe and the United States. The epidemic has claimed the lives of 4,922 people and more than 13,000 confirmed infection cases, mostly in the three hardest-hit countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
When the Ebola virus was carried into Nigeria on July 20 by Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian national, almost everyone assumed the disease would sweep across the most populous country in Africa. Twenty confirmed cases were detected in Nigeria, with only eight succumbing to the disease.
Nigeria owes its success to strong leadership, effective implementation of rules, selfless dedication of its medical staff and cross-country cooperation.
After Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan labeled the Ebola outbreak a public health emergency on August 8, the government set up an all-comprehensive Ebola Emergency Operations Center, which helped the country in its fight against the disease. Even the WHO has praised the Nigerian government for its “strong leadership” in the anti-Ebola mission.
Almost all anti-Ebola virus measures have been effectively implemented in Nigeria.
Several Ebola testing centers were set up so that the patients infected with the virus could be identified and quarantined within the shortest possible time. Also, the Nigerian government formed a six-member research committee on August 4 to conduct research on the virus and train local doctors to effectively combat the disease.
Other emergency measures were taken to check the spread of the disease in Nigeria and provide thorough treatment for the infected. In Lagos and Port Harcourt, where all the confirmed Ebola cases were reported from, a robust contact tracing system was established to ensure that virtually every person who had come in contact with the patients could be identified, closely monitored, isolated and provided with proper treatment.
The Nigerian authorities succeeded in finding and monitoring more than 400 people who had come in contact with a Port Harcourt doctor who succumbed to Ebola, for signs of the virus. These people were his family and community members and colleagues. This case, recorded in a WHO report, demonstrates one of the most important reasons behind Nigeria’s success.
More than 1,800 Nigerian medical workers were employed to trace and monitor the highly suspected cases, clean the contaminated spots and treat the patients. Some of them were infected with the virus and even lost their lives.
The doctor who treated Sawyer was one of them. This contrasts starkly with the fact that in some countries some doctors and nurses refused to treat Ebola patients for fear of being infected and even fled the hospitals.
The Nigerian government has also provided support for regional countries. It has shared with other countries its experience, donated millions of dollars to the affected West African countries and helped train medical staff from Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. More than 600 Nigerians have volunteered to provide assistance to the three countries.
In fact, Nigeria is not fighting the war against Ebola alone. The WHO laid out a road map against Ebola and coordinated international assistance for the affected countries, including Nigeria, with the UN setting up the Mission for Ebola Emergency Response.
China took the lead in assisting some African countries in their fight against Ebola. A Chinese chartered airplane carrying medical provisions landed in Sierra Leone on August 11, setting an example for other countries to follow. On September 18, the Chinese embassy in Nigeria announced that Beijing would provide more medical assistance to Nigeria.
Although Nigeria has been declared Ebola-free, this is not the time for complacency, especially because other West African countries are still battling the disease. Accordingly, Nigerian President Jonathan has urged all Nigerians to remain alert against another outbreak of the disease. This should be a lesson for other countries and their leaders.

Zhou, a Beijing-based scholar, specialises in international politics. (China Daily)