Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja

Ebola nurses in Sierra Leone: Nigeria sets up panel to look for cure

Nigeria’s  Federal Government on Monday began the search for the treatment of Ebola Virus Disease with the inauguration of a six-man Working Group to carry out research on the treatment of the virus.

Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria minister of health inaugurated the committee to be co-chaired by Prof. Karniyus Gamanie, the Director-General of the National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development  Abuja, and Professor Innocent Ujah, the Director-General of Nigerian Institute for Medical Research.

As listed by the minister as members of the committee are the Project Coordinator for the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Director of Public Health in the Ministry of Health and the Director of Health Planning, Research and Statistics in the Ministry of Health.

The minister also said the committee could recruit technical persons to assist it in its work.

The Minister also used the occasion to affirm that there was yet no known cure for the Ebola infection.

Against recent speculations in the media, Professor Chukwu also declared that was no “no scientific evidence” that eating bitter kola could cure the Ebola infection.

Dr. Onyebuchi Chukwu: Nigeria’s health minister

Reports that suggested bitter kola could cure Ebola infection based on a research conducted in 1989 by a Pharmacologist and former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Maurice Iwu have been circulating in the social media for the past few days.

But while acknowledging the report, the Minister said the research is inconclusive. Nevertheless, he named Iwu as one of the members of the committee to find cure for EVD.

“We have taken note that Iwu’s research has not been concluded.

“We also feel that in addition to mass enlightenment, we should not neglect the issue of research on Ebola disease,” said the minister.

Chukwu who said researches were going on  worldwide on vaccines for the treatment of the virus gave the terms of reference of the committee to include conducting research into the treatment of the Ebola virus.

According to him, the committee should receive and verify claims relating to the treatment of the disease, including uncompleted researches carried out in 1989 in the US by Iwu and his team.

Professor Chukwu added that the Committee should also gather and  analyse related research findings across the world.

He added that the committee was free to collaborate with similar centres around the world in the discharge of its mandates.

He also said the committee was also expected to advice government on appropriate measures to curtail the spread of the virus.

The Chairman of the Committee promised that members would do the utmost to carry out the assignment.

The  committee was set , after the disclosure that one of the doctors who treated Patrick Sawyer, a Liberian who developed Ebola Virus Disease on arrival  in Lagos about two weeks ago has also come down with the sickness.

Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, Nigeria minister of health said  two other people under quarantine have developed symptoms of the virus but added that it is not certain yet if they have the disease.

Professor Onyabuchi also revealed that out of the 70 persons established to have had contact with the late Liberian, eight persons were now being quarantined. 

He also said there has not been any recorded case of the infection of the virus so far outside Lagos.