By Oluwakemi Oladipo/Esenvosa Izah
Lagos – Medical experts in Lagos have lauded the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the newly developed “more effective” new Ebola treatment drugs, calling for community sensitisation on acceptance of such drugs.
They are a Medical Researcher, Dr Bamidele Iwalokun, and Prof. Akin Osibogun, a Professor of Public Health, and former Chief Medical Director, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos.
Others are Dr Okunola Olusola, the Deputy Director, World Safety Organisation in Nigeria and Mr Clement Olaifa, Lagos State Chairman, Association of General Private Nursing Practitioners.
The experts spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the WHO’s recent announcement that two of four Ebola treatment drugs have been determined “more effective” than the others.
They also advised Nigerians to maintain a state of continued watchfulness to combat infectious diseases, including Ebola virus.
WHO had, in a statement said that two of the four Ebola treatment drugs, REGN-EB3 and mAb114, were determined to be more effective in treating Ebola than the other two in trial.
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), known as Ebola haemorrhagic fever, is a rare, but severe, often fatal illness in humans.
The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
Iwalokun, also the Head, Immunology and Vaccinology Research Department, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos, said that community sensitisation was very important.
He said there was need to sensitise the public on the need to accept such drugs, adding acceptability and understanding of what the drugs could do, goes a long way.
Iwalokun said they need to know the effectiveness of the drugs, adding that such drugs would not be available at the pharmacy store because they were trial drugs.
“Community sensitisation is going to sensitise them more on Ebola virus and change their behavioural attitude, and how they seek health treatment, so they would not consult unofficial healthcare centre.
“After the level of sensitisation at the community, the healthcare professionals that form a critical stakeholders in the handling of the prescription and monitoring of the efficacy of the drugs, also need to be sensitised.
“They need to be educated on the mechanism of the action of the drugs, because the Chemistry in Ebola drugs is different from the common drug.
“Researchers also need to be sensitised by raising research questions,” Iwalokun said.
He said that the trial of two effective Ebola drugs in Democratic Republic of Congo (DCR) was a good thing which researchers in Nigeria should imbibe.
“Nigeria researchers should also participate by knowing the clinical implant that determine the effectiveness of the drugs.
“We need to know the clinical implant beyond reducing the viral load and eventually killing the virus.
“It is a very rare progress that two drugs to treat Ebola virus are more effective through clinical trial and showed efficacy.
“For countries that has been experiencing Ebola outbreak and still at risk, by virtue of border porosity, should look into those drugs.
“It will help them to strengthen preparedness on recurrent of Ebola outbreak in their countries,” Iwalokun said.
He said that Nigeria was still at risk of Ebola virus which means awareness on those drugs should be regulated with preparedness of ethical approval.
Commenting, Osibogun said a state of continued watchfulness was the way Nigeria could combat infectious diseases, including Ebola virus disease.
Osibogun, who works at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said: “This is really good news, suggesting we are making progress.
“These drugs have been used in clinical trials ongoing in the Democratic Republic of Congo to curb Ebola epidemic.
“In one of the drugs, mortality in Ebola is brought to as low as six per cent provided the patient reported early.
“While this is good news, I should point out that drugs may not be widely available immediately and prevention is still the preferred approach.
“As a country, we are part of the global community; so, if there is any development anywhere, it will benefit humanity in general.
“But, as a country, with regards to Ebola outbreak, we need to maintain watchfulness; we cannot think that because they have found something and, therefore, relax.“
He also said that the best way to maintain watchfulness was to educate the local health workers in particular, as they were closer to the community.
“So, health workers in the primary healthcare centres, once they suspect any case, they must alert the appropriate authorities immediately, and then, we can institute measures to control such an outbreak,“ Osibogun said.
Speaking, Olaifa urged Nigerians to prevent themselves from being infected.
“It is a cheerful news that we can now have a relief that any person who contacts Ebola hemorrhagic infection will not be getting a death sentence.
“But, let me emphasise that prevention is better than cure.
“The drugs are still undergoing clinical trials and still regarded investigatory therapies by administering either an antiviral drug called remdesivir or one of the three drugs that use monoclonal antibodies,’’ he said.
In his remarks, the Deputy Director of World Safety Organisation, Nigeria Chapter, Dr Okunola Olusola, said the pronouncement had brought hope to people.
“It is a good news, the beauty of it is that there is now hope that we can curtail an epidemic, and we can curtail an infection and prevent it from becoming an epidemic.
“If those who are exposed to an ill person are given the drugs, they have almost 100 per cent chance that they will not die from the disease, because the drugs that they are given is almost 90 per cent, if they are given early.
“So, it means that anyone who suffers from Ebola, the whole family does not need to be wiped out.
“But, we know that it is still in experimental stage, at the stage where there is hope,’’ he said.