Benin, Edo, Nigeria – By Oladipo Airenakho.
As part of the massive sensitization campaign in Nigeria to prevent the spread of the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease the Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has held a meeting with market women in the state on precautionary measures to take.
Speaking with the women in the state capital, Benin City, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said “The disease is difficult to manage and so I am advising you as leaders of market women to talk to your members to be wary of whom they shake or embrace because the disease causes serious sickness that can lead to death at short notice”.
He said, “Because of this, it is good that we should know what to do as people travel to different parts of the country’’.
‘’People walk about and we do not know those who are infected. That is why we must be prepared and plan so that if anybody sees any victim, he or she should know what to do’’.
The Governor who thanked God that the disease has not come to Edo State told the market women Ebola Disease was brought from another country to Nigeria through Lagos.
Speaking further on the effects of the Ebola Virus Disease, Edo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aihanuwa Eregie told the market women leaders that the Ebola Virus has been in existence since 1976.
The Commissioner said the virus can be found in animals like monkey, bat, chimpanzee, etc and hunters who go to the bush to hunt for animals can get in contact with the virus.
She maintained that though the virus is not presently in Edo State, but the need for effective sensitization to alert our people in the state especially the market women who travel from one part of the state to another had become necessary.
She highlighted some of the symptoms to include; headache, weakness of the body, waist pain, diarrhoea, vomiting, internal and external bleeding especially bleeding from the gum and advised people to regularly wash their hands as well as ensure general cleanliness of their environments.
In her response on behalf of the Market Women from Edo South, the leader of the delegation, Mrs. Blacky Omoregie expressed their appreciation to Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the government sensitization campaign on the Ebola Disease stressing that the market women will respond to the call for caution and personal hygiene.
She said, “we thank you our Comrade Governor on this very important meeting and I want to assure you that our market women will be educated on the need to observe precautionary measures so as to prevent the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease in the state’’.
