Nigeria Steps Up
Surveillance Of H1N1 Virus
Rafat Salami, Abuja
Health
authorities in Nigeria are stepping up surveillance
and emergency response in respect of the H1N1 virus
following a report of its presence in West Africa.
Two cases of the new H1N1 flu virus were diagnosed
in Ivory Coast, last week, making her the fifth
African country to diagnose the virus.
At least ten people have been confirmed to have
contacted the virus, though no death has been
recorded on the continent so far.
Cause of concern
Nigeria’s Minister of Health Professor Babatunde
Osotimehin told a news conference in Abuja that
being the most populous nation and also the
commercial hub of many countries in the region,
Nigeria is stepping up surveillance and
precautionary measures.
Nigeria is among eleven countries in Africa that
have acquired diagnostic equipment and in
collaboration with the World Health organisation had
stock piled two hundred and fifty thousand doses of
vaccines in case of an infection.
Qasim/Yinka