ABUJA – The National Council on Health has called for the regulation on importation of bust meat and to discourage its consumption in view of the prevalence of Ebola virus in the country.
The council made the call at its second emergency meeting on the Ebola Disease in Abuja on Monday.
In its communiqué read by the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, said that the council had been informed that Nigerian had 16 reported cases of the virus.
It said that the council resolved that all personal protective equipment must be procured in accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) specifications and from WHO accredited and sanctified manufactures and suppliers.
It urged the Ministry of Health to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture, Nigeria Customs Service and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to work out guideline to regulate importation of bust meat.
The council resolved that chief spokesperson for the health sector in relation to the Ebola virus disease would be the Minister of Health. [eap_ad_1] “The Federal Government should continue in the lead at the emergency operation centres but in collaboration with state government and development partners.
“It should provide the needed technical support to strengthen the training of health care workers of all levels to the state government, military and para-military groups,’’ it said.
The council also endorsed the training plans presented to it by the Federal Ministry of Health in relation to the Ebola disease.
According to the communiqué, adequate incentives, including special allowances and live insurance, must continue to be provided for all health workers involved in the management of Ebola diseases in Nigerian.
It directed that the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) should re-circulate the protocols and standard operative procedures for management of Ebola disease cases to all states immediately.
It said that it recognized the urgent need for the Ministry of Health to continue to support the establishment of additional laboratories.
It announced that Ebola virus could be diagnosed at NCDC laboratory, Asokoro, Abuja; NCDC laboratory in LUTH, Lagos; NCDC laboratory at University College Hospital, Ibadan and Redeemers Virology laboratory in Ogun State. (NAN)
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