Experts discuss impact of covid- 19 on humanity

Our Reporter

“COVID-19 is holding the world hostage, maiming people and decimating communities across the globe”.

This lamentation was made at a webinar recently by Ms Olatoun Williams, a trustee of the Gabi Williams Alzheimer’s Foundation (GWAF), an NGO working in partnership with Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) towards combating the alarming menace of Alzheimer’s disease in the country.

Williams expressed the grave sadness at the GWAF’s first-ever webinar on “The impact of covid-19 public health crisis on the aged, dementia sufferers and their caregivers”

The zoominar, she said, was set up specifically to provide a question-and-answer forum whereby questions were taken from members of the GWAF and answers given by experts in public health and dementia.

On parade as panelists at the zoom discussion brilliantly moderated by Toun Williams were distinguished and leading health experts, such as Dr. Salma Anaskolo, Director, Family Health, FMOH; Dr. Saidu Ahmed Dumbulwa, National Co-ordinator of Healthy Ageing Project, FMOH;  Prof. Adesola Ogunniyi, a professor of Medicine, University of Ibadan; Dr. Toyin Salawa, a public health and systems development expert and former director, FMOH; Dr. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe,   health law specialist and associate professor, Babcock University and Professor Olajide Gabi- Williams, Chief of Staff of Neurology and Director of Acute Stroke Services, Columbia University, United States of America.

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After exhaustive deliberations at the Webinar, the panel unequivocally stated that most people infected with COVID-19 virus will experience mild or moderate respiratory illness and recover without treatment, adding that old people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and cancer are indeed at a high risk of being easily infected by the ravaging virus.

Earlier in her welcoming address to leading voices on public health issues participating in the zoom panel discussion, Mrs. Lola Bailey, also a trustee of the GWAF remarked that what essentially triggered this bold move by the foundation to stage the webinar was the urgent need to get the expertise of public health professionals on what should be rightly done to mitigate the negative impact of the COVID 19 on the aged and other people prone to this highly contagious disease.