The Liberian Government on Thursday apologised
to Nigeria over the importation of the deadly Ebola
Virus by a Liberian-born American, Patrick
Sawyer.
Sawyer arrived Lagos on July 20 from Lome but
died five days after he was admitted into a hospital
in Obalende when he showed Ebola virus
symptons.
The Liberian-born American came into contact
with 59 people in both the Murtala Mohammed
International Airport and the hospital. Eight of the
hospital contacts were quarantined at the
Infectious Diseases Hospital in Yaba. One of them,
a matron, who died on Tuesday became the first
Nigerian casualty. Five others, including a female
medical doctor, had as of Wednesday, tested
positive to the virus.
The Liberian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Nurudeem Mohammed, told journalists in Abuja
that President Ellen Sirleaf-Johnson, was deeply
sorry that Sawyer brought the virus to Nigeria.
He said that the deceased was under surveillance
in Liberia but that he sneaked into Lagos.
Mohammed said, “The Liberian President President
has personally called to apologise on the
unfortunate development.
“She specifically said her country had declared a
state of emergency over the Ebola epidermic in
Liberia.
‘She equally apologised that Sawyer ignored
medical advice and escaped out of Liberia.”
However, hopes that the United States may send
Zmapp, the experimental drug for Ebola virus
treatment, appear dashed going by US President
Barack Obama’s declaration that it was too early
for West African countries hit by the outbreak to
have it.
Obama made the US position known at a news
conference at the end of an African summit on
Wednesday. While he spoke at the event, the
Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, told
journalists in Abuja that he had written the US
Centre for Disease Control requesting for ZMapp.
On Thursday, Chukwu also told journalists that he
had yet to receive a response from the centre.
But Obama, according to The Independent of
London, said he lacked enough information to give
the green light on distributing the drug, insisting the
world must “let science guide us” on its use.
“I don’t think all the information is in on whether
this drug is helpful,” the US President said, adding
that “Ebola virus both currently and in the past is
controllable if you have a strong public health
infrastructure in place.”
He said, “We’re focusing on the public health
approach right now, but I will continue to seek
information about what we’re learning about all the
drugs going forward.”
The Cable News Network also reported on
Thursday that Obama said, “The countries
affected(by the virus) are the first to admit that
what has happened is that their public health
systems have been overwhelmed. They weren’t
able to identify and then isolate cases quickly
enough.
“As a consequence, it spread more rapidly than
has been typical with the periodic Ebola outbreaks
that occurred previously.”
But Chukwu told journalists in Abuja on Thursday
that he was not aware that the US had turned
down requests for the experimental drug.
The minister, who inaugurated Defence
Identification Centre at the Mogadishu Cantonment
Abuja, said he was optimistic that Nigeria would
get positive response from the US.
Chukwu explained that the seeming delay might
be as a result of issues relating to the production
and supply of the drugs.
He stated also that the data of the drugs were still
being collected since it had been used on human
beings.
Chukwu however added that for now, nobody was
sure of the efficacy of the drug and whether its
side effects would outweigh its benefits or not.
He said, “Well, we are waiting for a response from
them (US); we have made the request but of
course, we believe that they will respond to us.
“But we also know that; one, this is an
experimental drug, some of the data required are
now being collected because it is now being used
on people.
“We are not completely sure yet of its efficacy; we
are not yet completely sure if the side effects
would outweigh its benefits, and then secondly,
since it is an experimental drug, it means it has
not bee
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