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ENVISAGING THE EXTERMINATION OF KANO

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ENVISAGING THE EXTERMINATION OF KANO | covid 19
As a city and probably a race, Kano is likely in the queue for extinction.

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As a city and probably a race, Kano is likely in the queue for extinction. Death has virtually gotten a residence permit in Kano and is making its presence felt in every house of every ward in the city and the state. People are dying at a rate that is fast becoming impossible to keep tabs on.

As a city and probably a race, Kano is likely in the queue for extinction. Death, has virtually gotten a residence permit in Kano, and is making its presence felt in every house of every ward in the city and the state. People are dying at a rate that is fast becoming impossible to keep tabs on.

Early in the morning today, my friend updated me with the news of his sister’s demise. Her brother died a day earlier. I was in the process of composing a text message of condolence to another friend, who lost a close friend yesterday, and who posted the death of relation on Facebook this afternoon when another call came.

This time around, it’s the sad news of the death of Professor Balarabe Maikaba, former Head of the department of mass communications, BUK.

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As Muslims, we can only say, Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un, which in the Qur’an means- Verily we belong to God, and verily to Him do we return.

Indeed Kano is witnessing or experiencing an unprecedented challenge in tragedy. The death figures, and the questions behind the mystery of the deaths, have gone high enough to the point that people are beginning to ask the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the state.

Through a letter, circulated to the press today Sunday, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has given the minister of health, Osagie Ehanire, seven days to publish the full report of the investigation into the mysterious deaths in Kano State or be ready for action.

Falana said the federal government should take over the situation of Kano, because the leadership seems overwhelmed, expressing concern over the burials conducted in the state without any official information from the government.

“During a press briefing held at Abuja a week ago, you announced that the Federal Ministry of Health, the Kano State Chief Epidemiologist, Officials of the Kano Public Health Department and those of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) had commenced an investigation into the strange deaths and mass burials currently going on in Kano State.

The people of Kano State and Nigerians, in general, are worried over the worsening health crisis as it may spread to other parts of Kano State not yet affected as well as other parts of the country if not urgently addressed. But since the Kano State Government is completely overwhelmed, we hereby, call on the Federal Government to take over the management of the crisis without any further delay”-Femi Falana, SAN.

ALIYU SANI

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The kano situation is particularly worrisome because of the perceived reluctance of the government to do the needful, and carry the public along in that endeavor so that it can be seen whether they are doing the needful.

With the abundance of experienced and knowledgeable hands-on epidemiology, Kano should not make itself a laughing stock in the eyes of the world.

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When the big pharmaceutical companies of the world want to do research on any disease, the government of Kano is always ready to release the state as a test laboratory, citing population and unique setting as reasons for doing so. But why is it that when Kano is the patient, the government is playing the recalcitrant?

With Malaria, which is one of the most severe global public health problems in Africa, where Nigeria has the greatest number of cases, Kano was used to carrying out a community-based study, particularly on the prevalence and risk factors, alongside the public attitudes and practices. The research helped in drawing out plans on how to confront the problem.

Although it came with some problems, a similar thing was done by Pfizer, using Trovan in Kano during an epidemic of bacterial meningitis. Why is the state not ready to commission a study or epidemiological survey now?

Going by the sayings of experts, who claimed that Infectious diseases, especially virulent infectious diseases, are commonly regarded as causes of fluctuation or decline in biological populations, one may ask, Is Kano on the road to such fate? Is there a plan to deliberately reduce the population of Kano, by taking advantage of the leadership’s weakness?

The Kano situation is gradually going out of hand, and the sooner it dawns upon the leadership to do the needful, the better for everyone.

Failure to do that may give room for suspicion that, the leadership is part of the plan.

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PCR Tests for Travellers Fraudulent, Probe NCDC, Ministry – WHO Envoy

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PCR Tests for Travellers Fraudulent, Probe NCDC, Ministry – WHO Envoy

The World Health Organisation’s Special Envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, Ayoade Alakija, has called for an investigation of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Ministry of Health over the required COVID-19 PCR tests for inbound passengers to Nigeria.

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Alakija, in a tweet via her official Twitter handle, @yodifiji, wondered why the PCR tests were done with no reagents.
According to reports, the Director General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Ifedayo Adetifa, had earlier insisted that Nigeria would not scrap COVID-19 tests for inbound passengers into the country.

Adetifa had said the country was reporting a high rate of COVID-19 cases from inbound passengers, hence the need for the insistence of the tests.
Alakija, reacting to a tweet by a journalist, David Hundeyin, tweeted, “It’s a scam. The entire thing is a criminal enterprise and should be exposed. “Diagnostic tests to enter a country where the government officials have interest in Dx test centres. PCR tests with no reagents? NCDC and MOH should be investigated. It is a scam, period.”

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Austria Suspends Mandatory Covid-19 Vaccine Law

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Austria has announced that it is suspending mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations for all adults this came weeks after the legislature took effect in an EU first.

 

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The Alpine nation of nine million people was among few countries in the world to make jabs against the coronavirus compulsory for all adults.
The law took effect in February and called for fines up to 3,600 euros ($3,940) from mid-March for those who do not comply.

However, minister Karoline Edtstadler said the law’s “encroachment of fundamental rights” could no longer be justified by the danger posed by the pandemic.
“After consultations with the health minister, we have decided that we will of course follow what the (expert) commission has said,” Edtstadler told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
“We see no need to actually implement this compulsory vaccination due to the (Omicron) variant that we are predominantly experiencing here.” He noted

According to him,the highly-contagious variant is widely believed to be less severe than previous strains of the virus, and so far Austrian hospitals have been able to cope with a surge in cases.

 

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F.G. Commences Vaccination with Over 30 Million J&J Vaccines

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Following efforts to increase the COVID-19 vaccination coverage of eligible persons across the country, the Federal Government has launched the service delivery, communication, accountability, logistics, electronic reporting, and supportive supervision (S.C.A.L.E.S) strategy.

The SCALES 2.0 strategy, which will ensure that more Nigerians can easily locate a nearby health facility to get vaccinated by visiting the website (www.vacsitefinder.nphcda.gov.ng), will also integrate childhood immunisation alongside other primary health care services.

 

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Also, eligible persons can now get vaccinated with a single shot of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) COVID-19 vaccines, as there are over 30 million vaccine doses available.

Nigeria has received over 64 million COVID-19 vaccines – AstraZeneca, Moderna, J&J and Pfizer. Furthermore, 48 million vaccines are expected before mid-year.

Latest vaccination data showed that as of February 21, 2022, a total of 17,199,853 eligible Nigerians have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccination, while 7,663,560 have received their second dose. In total, 24,863,413 vaccine doses have been administered.

The Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr Faisal Shuaib, made this known in Abuja during the launch of the SCALES 2.0 strategy with the use of the single dose J&J vaccine.

Dr Shuaib said: “We want to ensure that we not only decentralise COVID-19 vaccination, but make sure that we improve coverage and access to COVID-19 vaccination. Today, we are vaccinating just a little over 200,000 people per day. For us to reach our target of reaching 70 per cent of eligible populations before the end of 2022, we have to hit 550,000 people per day. This will ensure that we reach herd immunity.

“We are also going to be launching the single shot vaccine (Johnson & Johnson) for everyone. We understand that one of the reasons there is a gap between our first and second doses is because people experience adverse events following COVID-19 vaccination. Although the adverse events are very mild, we know that the opportunity to have a single shot not only in the hardest to reach areas, but everybody having access to one single shot will definitely increase our coverage of COVID-19 vaccination.

“The COVID-19 vaccination ‘site finder’ will improve the ability of Nigerians to assess COVID-19 vaccines. If you are able to sign on to this website, you will be shown the nearest COVID-19 vaccination centre.”

In her remarks, the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Dr Moeti Matshidiso, hailed the Federal Government’s vaccination strategy and efforts in ensuring that more Nigerians are covered.

She said: “I think we have learnt many lessons on how to leverage the capacities and lessons in delivering such campaigns in a country like Nigeria and internationally.

“I understand that there is going to be a great deal of emphasis on decentralisation – on really leveraging the decentralised nature of the Nigerian system and government to engage decision makers at the state and local government level, so that they can drive the very much action needed to speed up delivery of vaccines to the population.

“There will also be the need to expand the delivery capacity because at the same time the country is carrying out this important work, there is other work of delivering vaccines, responding to public health emergencies going on.”

The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, added: “Let me assure Nigerians that we have adequate stock of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, as we have over 30 million doses in stock. I call on all eligible persons that are yet to receive their vaccination to go to the nearest COVID-19 vaccination site and get vaccinated. This single dose offers the same protection you get from two doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer Bio-N-Tech and Moderna vaccines.

 

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