By Chioma Umeha
Following the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis
(CSM) which is spreading like wildfire across the country, experts have said
that collaboration is critical to ensure available and affordable safe as well
as effective medicines and vaccines to tackle the menace.
Stating this on Monday were pharmacists who spoke
under the platform of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) who regretted
that the persistent fatalities from outbreak of Meningitis is a preventable
one.
Specifically, PSN blamed the recurring epidemics
in the country to improper medicine management and protocols especially in the
area of immunisation.
According to them, a well-structured and lawfully
constituted regulatory agencies involved in drug distribution would address the
improper medicine management and protocols especially in the area of
immunisation.
The agencies which are critical in the drug
distribution network, PSN said are mainly, National Agency for Food and Drug
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN).
Pharm. Ahmed Yakasai, the President of PSN, in a
release said that pharmacists as medicine experts have a professional
responsibility to ensure the wellness of Nigerians and assure consumers of
medicines that “we shall not shirk in our responsibility in this regard.”
Yakasai said: “Our observation is that the
avoidable fatalities in the vicious cycle of meningitis fatality over the years
are fallouts of wretched medicine management and protocols especially in the
area of immunisation.
Globally, pharmacists as medicine experts are
trained to handle advice and deal with all categories of medicines and
biological preparations.
“Given the scenario of a well-structured and
lawfully constituted regulatory agencies involved in drug distribution
especially NAFDAC and PCN, the PSN submits that a more robust collaboration of
efforts would ensure the availability, affordability of safe and efficacious
medicines and vaccines in our nation to redress the anxiety and concerns the
perennial meningitis epidemics continues to inflict on our stressed health
system.”
Proposing a viable ameliorating balm
experientially, the PSN called on the Federal Government to adopt routine
immunisation as the panacea to the tragedy meningitis continues to epitomise in
our borders.
“Since the 80s a lot of countries have adopted
immunisation against haemophilus influenza Type B in their routine childhood
vaccination protocols. This practically facilitates the elimination of this
pathogen in such countries.
“The current epidemic is traceable to the more
deadly and often times resistant Type C variety, so logically the way forward
is to introduce the vaccine for meningococcus group C as it has proved
clinically effective to substantially decrease this pathogen. Quadrivalent
vaccines which combine four vaccines with the exception of B specie now exists
with some countries even placing premium on evidence of vaccination with them
as entry requirement into their country.”
Yakasai explained that the approach for prevention
and control of meningococcal epidemics based on early detection followed by
massive vaccination of the vulnerable population with vaccines though has shown
some effectiveness especially in young people, it is still perceived as a model
for product development partnership in resource limited settings. “This is the
norm in Nigeria and most African nations,” he said.
“Moving forward as a fortified health system,
Nigeria must change its approach to the totality of immunisation procedures by
opening its borders of restrictions to permit Community Pharmacists to conduct
routine immunisation against all killer childhood diseases in public interest,”
the PSN said.
The PSN President observed that the resort to
emergency import of vaccines every year we record epidemics is certainly not
good enough, as it remains a panic measure at best.
“Government must liberalise the importation of
essential medicines and vaccines which the local pharmaceutical industry has
not shown proven capacity to produce. Perhaps once again the PSN must appeal to
the Federal Government to follow the dictates and spirit of the PSN position
paper on the implementation of the recent 20 percent Import Adjustment Tax
(IAT).
“A 20 percent IAT on medicines and vaccines which
are life saving only exposes consumers of medicines to avoidable death
sentence. Our resolve as responsible health providers who embrace a
connectivity of empathy seriously forbids jostling along this less than noble
route.
“The Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria apart from
canvassing routine immunisation by community pharmacists and other competent
health workers wishes to advise the public to keep faith with the reflected
tips to prevent meningitis: ‘Eat only properly and well-cooked meals. Meat,
fish and poultry products must be cooked at high temperature to eliminate
bacteria. A balanced diet, adequate rest and sleep in addition to moderate
exercise will ultimately help to maintain a strong immune system while
multivitamin supplements with doses of Vitamin A, C, E and D are helpful in
maintaining good health as well as reduce the chances of inflammation around
the brain and spinal cord.’”
The PSN also recommended hand washing after
exposure to dirt or toilets remains essential. Those who harbour or play with
pets need to maintain high sanitary conditions. It also said that health
workers who manage meningitis patients might consider wearing face masks to
protect themselves especially if their patients are coughing or sneezing while
environmental sanitation is germane to maintain germ free enclave.
The Nigerian Government has confirmed the death of
over 336 people in the latest meningitis outbreak in the country.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Federal
Government said it has also activated an Emergency Operations Centre to manage
the epidemic.
The government further said that a total of $1.1
billion was needed to tackle the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis in five
states of the north.
The disclosure came as the Senate President, Dr
Bukola Saraki, said the Senate under his leadership, was prepared to accord
government all necessary support towards tackling the disease headlong.
The amount, according to Dr Emmanuel Odu, Acting
Director-General,National Primary Health Care Development Agency, NPHCDA, is
needed to vaccinate an estimated 22 million people in the affected states of
Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Niger, which has resulted in the death of
336 people so far.
“As of April 3, 2017, a total of 2,997 cases with 336
deaths have been reported with 146 of cases being laboratory confirmed,” Lawal
Bakare, a spokesman for NCDC said.
According to the Dr. Chikezie Ihekweazu, the Chief
Executive Officer of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the most
affected were Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina and Niger states. Other states affected
are Kebbi, Nassarawa, Jigawa, FCT, Gombe, Taraba, Yobe, Kano, Osun, Cross
Rivers, Lagos and Plateau.
Neighbouring countries within the African
Meningitis Belt that are having similar experience are Niger, Chad, Cameroun,
Togo, and Burkina Faso.
Records have it that the worst CSM epidemics in
the country occurred in 1996 when it claimed 11,717 lives out of 109,580 cases.
And in 2003 it claimed 401 lives from the 4,130 cases reported. In 2008, it was
562 deaths out of 9,086 cases and in 2009, 9086 cases were reported out of
which 562 lost their lives.
The Federal Ministry of Health source said the
current the epidemic is different from the previous ones caused by Neisseria
Meningitides Type ‘A’.
It said the current one is Neisseria Meningitides
Type C and in epidemic proportion for the first time.
