Meningitis: NMA Wants Local Production of Vaccines, Flays FG Response
As Air Force vaccinates personnel, recruits; NYSC to engage corps members
The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has called on the Federal Government to embark on local production of vaccines to ensure adequate supply and prevent epidemics in Nigeria, while flaying the latter for lack of preparedness to tackle the scourge of Cero Spinal Meningitis (CSM) currently spreading across the country.
To achieve the local content goal, the body, in a statement issued yesterday by its President, Mike Ogirima, called for an expansion of local vaccines production at the National Veterinary Research Institute, Vom, Plateau State.
So far, the Type C Meningitis strain has spread to over 16 States, 90 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and has killed about 400 Nigerians; with government experiencing difficulty in securing the needed vaccines.
Ogirima explained that revival of local vaccines production would afford the country opportunity to administer vaccination on its populace as and when due. This, he said, would help reduce the impact of outbreak of any epidemic.
“Our pharmaceutical industries should be challenged and supported to produce our consumables. This should be the new order instead of budgeting huge sums of money for importation of vaccines and other consumables,” he said.
The NMA however, discouraged vaccination after an outbreak of epidemics, noting that such immunisation was ineffective. According to him, an effective immunisation must have been administered three months prior to clinical manifestation of such disease.
The NMA chieftain also said the body is “embarrassed” that the current meningitis outbreak has again taken the nation “unawares”. He noted that the federal government couldn’t have claimed to be unprepared when the country’s seasonal climatic conditions are predictable.
Ogirima said: “It is embarrassing again to note that this epidemic has taken us unaware. The country has a pattern of climate change and we should have emergency preparedness plan that should be activated routinely to avert disaster.”
Meanwhile, to ameliorate the raging effect of meningitis across the nation, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), yesterday said it has taken steps against the illness by vaccinating its personnel and new recruits, especially in the headquarters and other northern states where the disease is prevalent.
The Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar, disclosed this at the presentation of accreditation certificate for 561 Aviation Medicine Department, as well as the Cancer Awareness Lecture held at the Logistics Command in Lagos.
Abubakar, who was represented by the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) Logistics Command, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Yahaya, said awareness of the disease is key, adding that the service has started observing the given rules.
He also said the service has started reviewing procedures and processes of entrance, so that people coming into the service would undertake psychiatric evaluation.
On the recognition of two of its doctors-Wing-Commander-Alfred Ayodeji and Squadron Leader Joshua Danji, by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) as certified Aero Medical examiners, Sadiq said it was rewarding for the service to have achieved the feat, noting that the process commenced seven years ago.