Dr Olije Wakdok, a consultant family physician with the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, says Nigeria can successfully tackle repeated cases of widespread infectious diseases if the needful is done and properly articulated. She spoke with KUNI TYESSI.
Your association, the Federal Medical Centre chapter visited the Internally Displaced Camp at Kuchingoro to assist in free medical services. Why was Kuchingoro the preferred choice?
We considered it part of our corporate and social responsibility to contribute to the health of the community around us. And as they say, “charity begins at home” so Kuchingoro was naturally our first choice being the closest to the hospital. We also treated people in the community around the camp. We treated common medical ailments, provided free hepatitis B screening, screened for diabetes and hypertension, visual assessment and provided corrective lenses. We also offerred HIV counselling and testing and distributed condoms. To ensure continuity of care, we referred as appropriate to either the primary health centre or our hospital.
Are there plans to visit the other camps?
Yes, we hope to visit other camps. It was a very rewarding experience both for us and the people at the camp and we are excited about organising more medical outreaches to other camps in the FCT.
The theme for the inaugural AGM was based on the spread of infectious diseases in resource limited settings like Nigeria. What was the motive behind the choice of theme?
The theme, containing the spread of infectious diseases in resource limited settings: are we prepared is apt. Infectious diseases continue to be the leading cause of illness and death in Nigeria. Also, nowhere in the world have infectious diseases yet become a negligible cause of illness and death. Infectious diseases are caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi; the diseases can be spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases of animals that can cause disease when transmitted to humans.
As we have seen with the outbreaks of Ebola and Lassa fever, the spread of these diseases are not limited by national or international boundaries; burdens and disrupts national health systems; threaten global health systems; cause untold suffering and death, panic and have negative economic consequences through disruption of trade and tourism. WHO states that nearly one quarter of the global disease burden is attributable to the modifiable environment predisposing to infectious diseases, and the total number of healthy life years lost per capita is 15-times higher in developing countries than in developed countries. Note the word,’ modifiable’. This means that with effective preventive and control measures the burden can be reduced. The aim of the conference was to bring together key people in the area, to build on our collective knowledge and to prepare us for that task in our various institutions
In the spread of contagious diseases, what should be the dos and dont’s that individuals and communities must strictly adhere to?
Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent infection. Routine Hand washing prevents the spread of disease! 80% of diseases can be prevented with good hand washing techniques.
Ensure availability of hand-washing facilities with clean running water, soap, single-use clean towels, and alcohol-based hand rub.
Get the appropriate vaccine.
Report to a health facility if you are sick (so you do not spread the illness to other people).
Use a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your arm, not your hand. Turn away from other people.
Use single-use tissues and dispose of it immediately. Wash your hands after coughing, sneezing or using tissues.
If working with children, have them play with hard surface toys that can be easily cleaned.
Communities and work places should have an infection control plan.
Keep the environment clean
Exercise caution with animals. Infections that can spread from animals to people are called “zoonotic diseases” and accounts for 75% of the new emerging human infectious diseases.
Watch the news. A good understanding of current events can help you to make wise decisions about traveling or other recreational activities.
Do not share personal items
Practice safe sex
Would you say Nigeria is socio-economically prepared to stem the tide of infectious diseases?
No we are not. Our health care system is poorly funded. Direct government financing of health activities is the most widespread approach to health financing. It is inadequate, far below the WHO recommended 15% of total budgetary expenditure and there is inequitable urban-rural distribution of benefits; more of government spending goes to urban based care. Government rather than spend appropriately on preventive health care which is cheaper end up spending on curative health care at higher level which is more costly. Inefficiency is common in health care delivery. This results in delivery of unnecessary care through costly facilities and use of highly skilled personnel.
Our health system is weak and surveillance poor. We have weak early warning, alert and response systems. While it is true that successful disease control efforts in some developing countries like Nigeria have led to increased life expectancy, we still appear to be taken by surprise when there are outbreaks of infectious diseases. We do not have epidemic preparedness and response plans. Also, with the steady rise in non- communicable diseases like hypertension, diabetes and cancers, we face a double burden of infectious diseases and non- communicable diseases.
We need a more proactive approach to health care through preventive care and preparedness which are the cost effective approaches to ensuring best outcomes in the over-burdened, under-staffed and poorly funded health care system in Nigeria.
What are some of the things government at all levels can do to boost the limited resources within and around their communities?
This was what was discussed extensively by our keynote speaker, Prof Idoko at the conference and part of the recommendations drawn up after the conference. The government needs to implement the “One World One Health (OWOH)” concept: an international, interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral approach to surveillance, monitoring, prevention, control and mitigation of emerging diseases. It provides a framework for preventing emerging infectious diseases (EID) of animal origin, instead of simply responding to them once they have occurred. Getting prepared entails these fundamental elements: strong public health fundamentals, including infectious disease surveillance, laboratory detection, and epidemiologic investigation; highâ€impact interventions; and sound health policies. Effective surveillance, detection and response systems at the global level, which are then well anchored at the national, state and local government levels, are important.
We need to develop and strengthen mechanisms in our health system at all levels to be able to prevent and control endemic diseases and respond to new and emerging threats. This requires the sustained, coordinated, and complementary efforts of many individuals, groups and institutions. It also involves working with global partners, state and local Governments health departments to sustain and upgrade public health fundamentals and address priority infectious disease issues.
Helping community leaders and community service organisations to improve local response readiness, educating the public about the interconnected efforts needed to prevent and control infectious diseases and their role in protecting their health is also essential.
By: Kuni Tyessi
Leadership News
ABUJA: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
PORTHARCOURT: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
LAGOS: Training Schedule for Basic Life Support BLS, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS), Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support ACLS, First Aid, CPR, AED
STOP paying for airtime and electricity, Let your phone pay its bills with ScreenT
You may also like
Comrade Lemii Christian Emerges Chairman of NANNM Rivers State Branch in Historic Victory
PORT HARCOURT, NIGERIA Following the long awaited National Association of N…
FG Supports Robotic Surgery Expansion to Reduce Medical Tourism
Nigeria is taking another step toward strengthening specialised healthcare …
Complete Knee Replacement Rehabilitation Package in Lagos
Knee replacement surgery is a major step toward pain relief and improved mo…
NAMDA threatens strike over unpaid medical lecturers’ allowances
The Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has warned…
Resident Doctors Signal End to Strike Threat After High-Level Talks with Gbajabiamila
The threat of a nationwide indefinite strike by the Nigerian Association of…
