By SHEDRACK FRANK
YENAGOA-The Deputy Governor of Bayelsa, Mr Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, has warned that there is the likelihood of an outbreak of diseases as a result of the flood which affected most parts of Bayelsa.
Ewhrudjakpo disclosed this while declaring open, the 10th annual general meeting and scientific conference of the Nigerian Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS) in Yenagoa.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this year’s theme is: “Infectious Disease Preparedness and Response: Challenges and Prospects for Resource-Constrained Settings.”
The deputy governor, who was represented by the Commissioner For Health, Dr Pabara Igwele, expressed the hope that NIDS, will use the conference to discuss infectious disease preparedness and response particularly as its affects Bayelsa who is recovering from flood.
He said: “The theme is quite apt as it captures the reality of the moment, particularly as it is affects Bayelsa state coming from the ravaging flood which affected majority of the state.
“The need to have discussions around infectious disease preparedness and response cannot be over-emphasized as we anticipate outbreak of diseases after the flood, especially cholera, typhoid, increasing number of Monkey Pox and COVID-19 cases and many other diseases.
“The discussions around your theme will hopefully be the panacea for managing infectious diseases viz-a-vis emerging and re-emerging diseases,” he said.
In his speech, the President of Nigeria Infectious Diseases Society (NIDS), Prof. Dimie Ogoina, said the NIDS has played a leading role in advancing the prevention and control of Infectious Diseases in the country through advocacy, education and training, public sensitization, research and partnership.
He added that its members are at the forefront of various national and international committees relating to infectious diseases.
He said: “The NIDS is a multi-disciplinary society, including infectious diseases specialist, clinical microbiologists, researchers, public health physicians, epidemiologists, and policy makers.
“This conference will create the needed awareness to stakeholders on the relevance of infectious diseases prevention and control and proposed solutions to address the peculiar challenges relating to infectious diseases in Nigeria and globally,” he said.
The Chairman, Board of Directors of NIDS, Prof. Idris Mohammed, represented by Prof. Abdulsalam Nasidi, regretted that epidemic-prone infectious diseases have continued to occur in epidemic and at times pandemic proportions, causing a lot of disruptions in life and livelihood.
He stated that in the last three years, the world has witnessed the declaration of two public health emergencies of international concern caused by COVID-19 and Monkey Pox. (NAN)
