Meningitis: NMA Wants Local Production of Vaccines, Flays FG Response

• As Air Force vaccinates personnel, recruits; NYSC to engage corps members

Abimbola Akosile, Senator Iroegbu in Abuja and Chiemelie Ezeobi

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the Federal Government to embark on local production of vaccines to ensure adequate supply and prevent epidemics in Nigeria, while flaying the latter for lack of preparedness to tackle the scourge of Cero Spinal Meningitis (CSM) currently spreading across the country.

To achieve the local content goal, the body, in a statement issued yesterday by its President, Mike Ogirima, called for an expansion of local vaccines production at the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State.

So far, the Type C Meningitis strain has spread to over 16 States, 90 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and has killed about 400 Nigerians; with government experiencing difficulty in securing the needed vaccines.

Ogirima explained that revival of local vaccines production would afford the country opportunity to administer vaccination on its populace as and when due. This, he said, would help reduce the impact of outbreak of any epidemic.

“Our pharmaceutical industries should be challenged and supported to produce our consumables. This should be the new order instead of budgeting huge sums of money for importation of vaccines and other consumables,” he said.

The NMA however, discouraged vaccination after an outbreak of epidemics, noting that such immunisation was ineffective. According to him, an effective immunisation must have been administered three months prior to clinical manifestation of such disease.

The NMA chieftain also said the body is “embarrassed” that the current meningitis outbreak has again taken the nation “unawares”. He noted that the federal government couldn’t have claimed to be unprepared when the country’s seasonal climatic conditions are predictable.

Ogirima said: “It is embarrassing again to note that this epidemic has taken us unaware. The country has a pattern of climate change and we should have emergency preparedness plan that should be activated routinely to avert disaster.”

Meanwhile, to ameliorate the raging effect of meningitis across the nation, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday said it has taken steps against the illness by vaccinating its personnel and new recruits, especially in the headquarters and other northern states where the disease is prevalent.

The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, disclosed this at the presentation of accreditation certificate for 561 Aviation Medicine Department, as well as the Cancer Awareness Lecture held at the Logistics Command in Lagos.

Abubakar, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Yahaya, said awareness of the disease is key, adding that the service has started observing the given rules.

He also said the service has started reviewing procedures and processes of entrance, so that people coming into the service would undertake psychiatric evaluation.

On the recognition of two of its doctors – Wing Commander Alfred Ayodeji and Squadron Leader Joshua Danji, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as certified Aero Medical examiners, Sadiq said it was rewarding for the service to have achieved the feat, noting that the process commenced seven years ago.

He said: “We have been given certification to examine civil air crew. The two doctors that have been issued seal can give certified medical examination to air crew and it would be recognised internationally.”

The CAS, who embarked on a tour of medical facilities under the command, was accompanied by the Chief of Medical Services, AVM Sale Shinkafi, Air Commodore Benjamin Okunola and other senior officers.

On what the NAF was doing to save its personnel in the middle belt from contracting meningitis, Shinkafi said: “The CAS has directed the medical services to take deliberate actions which we have done. Virtually all medical units have conducted enlightenment lectures on meningitis.

“We have also secured good quantity of vaccines, which we have been using on our personnel to prevent them from contracting it. Before I left the headquarters, virtually all personnel there have been immunised. Those in training at Kaduna both recruits and cadets have also been immunised. We have gone a step further by making deliberate efforts to protect even those coming for recruitment interview.

“We do not want a situation where any of the persons called could have the disease and infect any of our personnel, who would transmit it to the barracks”, he added.

Speaking on the cancer awareness lecture, Air Commodore Okunola said it was borne out of the service’s desire to educate its immediate community on the need for screening.

He said: “Cancer is real and in our society. We want people to be aware of that fact. They should also be aware that if quickly dictated, it could be treated. We want people to be open to screening, so that they could get treatment on time. After the lectures, we would conduct screening for breast, cervical and prostate cancers. Those diagnosed with any of them would receive free treatment.”

In a related development, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Kano state has expressed readiness to engage corps members across the state in vaccination against meningitis in the area.

The NYSC State Coordinator, Alhaji Ladan Baba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Kano. He said, “Our medical and health team is fully ready to embark on the exercise as soon it is provided with the vaccine by the Kano State Government”.

According to Baba, the plan to engage the corps members is necessary to avoid the outbreak of the disease in the state as reported in some northern states. “We have begun to see the signs in Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger states and even in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja,” he added.

The coordinator also scheme had engaged the medical and health team of the corps members in sensitisation to avoid the spread of meningitis.

According to Baba, the sensitisation is to inform the general public on measures to be taken to avoid the outbreak of the disease in the state. He urged the people to refrain from living in congested rooms but in well ventilated rooms.