The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has demanded immediate resuscitation of Local Vaccine Production (LVP) at Yaba, and expansion of the scope of LVP at National veterinary research institute.
Besides calling for the immediate resuscitation of the LVP, the NMA condemned in totality the reactive measures by the government on the epidemic; and the delayed immunization of the citizens against an infection that is already established.
A statement released by the association at the weekend on the World Health Day, regretted that while Nigeria was able to produce her vaccines in 1947 to fight the smallpox epidemic, what has gone wrong with the Yaba vaccines production laboratory since 1991 is embarrassing.
Signed by the President of NMA, Prof Mike Ogirima and the Secretary-General, Dr Yusuf Sununu Tanko, the statement said local pharmaceutical industries should be challenged and supported to produce our consumables, adding that this should be the new order instead of budgeting huge sums of money for importation of vaccines and other consumables.
The NMA said it observed with despair the spreading of the epidemics, the Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM) which is ravaging certain parts of the country and already killed more than 300 people.
The statement read: “The NMA condemns in totality the reactive measures by the government on the epidemic. The delayed immunization of the citizens against an infection that is already established.
“This is ineffective based on the epidemiology of the disease. For immunization to be effective it must have been administered around three months before the period of clinical manifestation due to the latent period. We want the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other government agencies to be proactive in the approach to our emergencies.”
While commiserating with the families and state governors of the affected places, the NMA said it is assisting in providing medicaments to the affected states apart from massive mobilization of her members to man isolation camps in the affected places.
The association also called for early release of budgetary provisions for various health programmes, which it said must be part of the change mantra of this administration.
It added: “Various epidemiological studies have been conducted in the past on the trend of CSM in Nigeria. Type C strain of Neisseria meningitides was involved in the epidemics in the past in Nigeria. The country has a pattern of climate change and we should have emergency medical preparedness plans that should be activated routinely to avert disasters.
“We also condemn the statement ascribed to one of our governors that CSM is a curse from God for people’s fornication and adultery. NMA advises that our leaders should stay with the citizens to understand their plights and avoid unnecessary journeys outside the states they seek to govern. CSM is an infection caused by Neisseria meningitides bacteria and rampant with overcrowding and transmissible via the air.
The NMA pointed out that there was lack of awareness programme on the epidemic, and called on the government to ensure massive public enlightenment programmes to the populace which will go a long way to prevent the spread of all communicable diseases.