Tuesday, 19 August 2014

US Won't Provide Experimental Ebola Drug, Zmapp, To Nigeria

The Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu in an audience with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle during a visit in the minister's office in Abuja
The Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu in an audience with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, during a visit in the minister’s office in Abuja

The American Ambassador to Nigeria, James Entwistle, said on Monday, August 18, his country was not yet in a position to make the Ebola Disease experimental drug, Zmapp, available to Nigeria.


During a visit to the Nigerian Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, Mr. Entwistle said that the drug was not yet available in sufficient quantity to go round all the countries requesting it.

According to NAN, the ambassador didn’t say when the drug would be available for Africa’s most populous country. He only advised the Nigerian health ministry to focus on isolation, screening and prevention.

Commenting the efforts of the Federal Government in curbing the spread of the Ebola virus in the country, Mr. Entwistle said the aim of the visit was to discuss further on the anti-Ebola cooperation between the US government and the Nigerian government.

“Your government is doing a good job on contact tracing; I noticed when I flew back here on Thursday night into the country, before I left the plane I filed in the questionnaire.

“I was very impressed because I had to put in my seat number which is a very good idea, so that if you have to trace the guy who was seating next to me you will know where I am,” he said.

Speaking during the visit, the Minister of Health, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said the Nigerian Government was withholding its approval for the Anti-Ebola drug Nano-Silver produced by a Nigerian because it didn’t meet the requirements of the National Health Research Ethics Code.

However, the Nano Silver drug was made available to the Emergency Operations Centre in Lagos on August 14. According to
He said the ambassador’s visit was an opportunity to share ideas and information on Ebola virus.

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