Ebola: Don’t Celebrate Yet – Minister

The battle against the Ebola Virus disease (EVD) may have been won in the country but the war is not yet over, Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said.

Professor Chukwu gave the warning at the plenary of the ongoing 2014 Summit on Women and Girl Child education at the National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), Abuja, with the theme: Reinforcing the Agenda for Girl Child Education.

According to him, while the global accolade Nigeria had garnered for tackling the disease was well deserved, the country could not afford to let its guard down, given the fact that the scourge was still ravaging some West African countries.

“I have confidence that the war against EVD has been won (in Nigeria) but I must also warn that the preventive measures, still in place, should be taken seriously as long as the disease is still ravaging some African countries and spreading beyond,” he said.

The minister noted that the Nigerian experience in containing the scourge had amazed many who wondered how the country rose to the challenge of Ebola and subdued it, despite some lapses in the nation’s healthcare delivery system, adding that it was a model worthy of replication in any Ebola-infested country.

Speaking on the occasion, President Goodluck Jonathan, represented by the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina, said the Federal Government would continue to recognise the valuable contributions of Nigerian women and the girls to the sustenance of the society.

He said as part of efforts in ensuring that women and girls benefitted maximally from the dividends of democracy, the Federal Government launched recently the Growing Girls and Women in Nigeria (GWIN), adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had been directed to ensure that 60 per cent of the approved N20 billion SME fund be allocated to women.

President Jonathan further said that the outcome document of the summit be made available to his office which will steer the administration to think outside the box in planning for the girl-child in Nigeria.

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan in her remarks highlighted the many challenges confronting the girl-child and called on women and mothers to be more detailed in their attention to the upbringing of their children.

In her Keynote address, a 16-year-old, Chimdi Neliachukwu, who spoke the mind of the girl-children contained in their charter of demands they christened “Girlifesto” stressed the importance of the fear of God in addressing the needs of the girl-child, adding that for the Girl-child’s education to be balanced, it must  be rooted in both moral and academic pursuit and called for worthy role models for the girl child.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Director General NCWD, Lady Onyeka Onwenu, said the Summit was convened to draw attention of policy makers to the challenges of the girl child, and would evolve strategies for economic empowerment for marginalised women and girls, focusing on education, health, violence and security.
She said that due to the disproportionate disadvantage of girls as well as the opportunities girl-child education can bring, there was need to reduce the disparities through deliberate policies and interventions aimed at gender equality and empowerment.





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Posted: at 17-10-2014 06:46 AM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

WE DONT NEED SUCH VIRUS PLS SIR

Posted: at 17-10-2014 09:01 AM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

Wetttttttttttin!!! abeg we go celebrate am,,,,,Naija is Ebola free......

Posted: at 17-10-2014 10:34 AM (10 years ago) | Hero

  ohooooo

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Posted: at 17-10-2014 11:21 AM (10 years ago) | Addicted Hero

We thank God,  we are freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Posted: at 17-10-2014 02:38 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

what the minister is saying is nothing but the truth,, president should listen to this man,, and heed to all his professional recommendations towards preventing the virus from getting into nigeria again,,,,

Posted: at 17-10-2014 08:31 PM (10 years ago) | Gistmaniac

All said and done, Ebola Countries are not OIL Producing so not much respond. Billions of $$$ were invested in IRAQ war while thousands of Defence and Medical personnel lost their lives and its on-going!!!!

Western Countries sprang to the defence of 15 trapped Yazidis on a mountain in Iraq, leading the world and shrieking "quick we need to act now before ISIS kills us all!"

Where is the same bravado in tackling the much more serious Ebola virus which has a far greater potential in reaching our shores than Mohammad Elomar paddling across the Indian Ocean in a canoe.

Obama declared restraint was required before engaging ISIS, however, western leaders had already mobilised troops at Al Minhad air base in Dubai. Obama is now asking the world to assist in combating Ebola, why have they not responded?

Hypocrisy to say the least. How can such pathetic pollies be World leaders leaders?

Posted: at 18-10-2014 05:09 AM (10 years ago) | Newbie