Tag: Prof. Chukwu

Nigeria has narrowed down its research for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) treatment to three trial drugs.

The Treatment Research Group (TRG) on Ebola will be reviewing the Chinese vaccine drugs, the Canadian and Recombinant Vesicular stomatitis.

TRG, according to the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, received 32 treatment claims.

The minister spoke at the opening of the High Level Experts meeting on treatment and research for EVD and other emerging infections.

He noted that TRG has been working assiduously to fast track research work on finding possible drugs and vaccines for EVD.

The Federal Government is to set up a fund to assist private hospitals involved in the treatment of Ebola Virus Disease, the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, has said.

He explained that the fund is for private hospitals that had been very helpful in attending to Ebola cases.

He, however, said the Port Harcourt- based private hospital which secretly treated an Ebola patient would not be considered.

Besides, he said the four nurses that volunteered to attend to Ebola cases at a time when the country had no personnel on ground would be remembered.

Prof. Chukwu also added that he would discuss their case with President Goodluck Jonathan as a way of encouraging and rewarding them for their patriotism.

The minister, who spoke during a meeting between the Federal Ministry of Health and Federal Tertiary Health Institutions across the country on strategies for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) control, told the gathering that as Thursday, there are no more Ebola cases in the country.

Although, he did not rule put the possibility of a fresh case in the same manner we had the first through the late Patrick Sawyer.

He also announced that there are still four patients under investigation in Lagos, while about 350 are still under watch in Port Harcourt.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Wednesday said that delaying schools resumption till December or early next year based on Ebola Virus Disease is irrational.

He made the remarks while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

According to him, the decision to bring forward the resumption date to 22nd of this month is based on expert advice.

While insisting that it is safe for the students to resume, the minister said there is presently no patient under treatment anywhere in the country and that there is no community transmission of the disease in Nigeria like other countries.

Stressing that Nigeria is making good progress against the disease, he assured that Nigeria will continue to maintain vigilance at the entry points to make sure no fresh case comes into the country.

On schools’ resumption, he said: “The Minister of Education after meeting with the commissioners for education from the 36 states and FCT decided when public schools should open which they told us is September 22. In taking that decision, they used information that was given by the federal Ministry of Health to the fact there is actually no reason now with the expert information we have at hand why schools cannot resume earlier than the original date of October 13.

“I think people should just allow us to do the work we have been doing very professionally. It was based on advice given by the Ministry of Health that the Minister of Education took the original decision that it was going to be in October and nobody quarreled with the minister. Now the minister, based on expert advice, has come back to say well, for us, if you are asking us to resume earlier than October 13, we don’t have any reason to stop that.”

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Monday debunked the news making the rounds on fresh outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

The minister at a press conference on the update of the virus in Nigeria said there was no any iota of truth in the latest rumor of fresh cases in some parts of the country.

He noted that outside the cases in Lagos and Rivers States, no other fresh incidence of Ebola had been reported.

At the moment only one person, the wife of the Port Harcourt doctor is on treatment in the isolation ward in Lagos, though she is no longer showing symptoms and is undergoing tests preparatory to her discharge this week.

So far seven people have died from the Ebola, including Mr. Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who imported the virus into the country.

The minister said another patient was discharged on Sunday. The patient, according to him is the sister of the Port Harcourt doctor, Iyke Enemuo.

He said, “It has been 50 days since Ebola Virus Disease was imported into Nigeria through Lagos and 38 days since it was introduced into Port Harcourt.

“So far, all the cases that have been confirmed in Nigeria are traceable to the index case, the Liberian-American, Mr. Patrick Sawyer.

“As of this morning the total number of confirmed cases of EVD in Nigeria is 19. That is 15 in Lagos and four in Port Harcourt.

“The 19th case is the fiancé of one of the primary contacts of Mr. Sawyer’s who died of the disease. The test results were equivocal but further tests established the disease. He had only mild symptoms and he has since recovered from the illness. He was quarantined, but because of the equivocal test result, he was not placed on active treatment.

“The total number of deaths from EVD in Nigeria stands at seven.  Five of this died in Lagos, one in a private hospital, the index case, Mr. Sawyer, and the other four in the isolation ward in Lagos State.

Two died in Port Harcourt, the medical doctor who died in a private hospital and the contact, a patient in the hospital, who died in the isolation ward in Rivers State.

The total number of patients who have been successfully managed and discharged stands at nine.

“The latest is the sister of the Port Harcourt doctor who was discharged from the isolation ward in Rivers State on Sunday. It should be noted that the nine patients successfully managed and discharged are among the 11 survivors of EVD in Nigeria.

“At the moment only one person, the wife of the Port Harcourt doctor is on treatment in the isolation ward in Lagos. She is no longer showing symptoms and is undergoing tests preparatory to her discharge from the isolation ward this week.”

The Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, Monday announced that the country has applied for the Japanese drug for the treatment of Ebola Virus Disease.

The drug – Favipiravir – was developed by a subsidiary of Fujifilm Holdings and could be delivered immediately.

The flu treatment was approved by the Japanese health ministry in March. Fujifilm spokesman Takao Aoki said the company was in talks with United States authorities about starting clinical testing of Favipiravir for Ebola treatment.

Aoki had said that developers currently had enough stock to treat around 20,000 patients.

Apart from the Japanese drug, Chukwu said the country was also applying for the TKM-Ebola drug alongside two other vaccines which has been identified by the Treatment Research Group.

The minister, who spoke at the opening of the 2nd Emergency National Council on Health meeting on Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Nigeria said, “the Treatment Research Group (TRG) has been working hard to identify experimental drugs like Zmapp, and also make recommendations to government on further research on these drugs as well as vaccines for EVD treatment and prevention.

“Following the TRG’s recommendation and in consultation with NAFDAC and NHREC, Nigeria has indicated interest to participate in the clinical trials for two candidate EVD vaccines and are considering a third that may be added to the list. We have also applied for experimental drugs such as TKM-Ebola.

“The TRG has submitted a detailed profile and brief on the oral antiviral agent which the Japanese Government has offered to make available to affected countries through the World Health Organization. We are now considering the profile and brief to enable us reach a final decision on making it available to our patients.

“Our initial knowledge of the agent is that it has been shown to have strong antiviral activity against the influenza virus following phases I and II human trails, it is now going through phase III clinical trials. It is shown to have strong antiviral property against Ebola virus in vitro and in vivo. The fact that it is considered safe, having passed through phase I and II clinical trials makes it a good drug for use in emergency situation as the EVD.”