Ebola: Nigerians Shun Sanitiser

Many Nigerians have discontinued the use of hand sanitiser and proper hand washing that was a regular, when the country was recently hit by Ebola virus, PSALMGIST can confirm.
In a survey of Lagos residents, PSALMGIST findings show that many residents are unconcerned about proper hand washing and the use of sanitiser after Nigeria was declared Ebola-free by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The WHO declared Nigeria free of Ebola virus in October following the containment and decontamination of the affected places in the country. The WHO's representative in Nigeria officially declared Nigeria Ebola-free on 20 October after no new active cases were reported in the follow up contacts.
The first death in Nigeria was reported on 25 July, when a Liberian-American with Ebola flew from Liberia to Nigeria and died in Lagos soon after arrival.

Some of the respondents that include students, professionals and civil servants told PSALMGIST that they find it difficult to be washing their hands on a regular basis, immediately after the campaign on Ebola virus died down in the country.
The strict measures of screening for Ebola virus at banks, schools, hospitals government offices and corporate organisations have been relaxed and most Nigerians who are not really in the habit of doing regular hand washing are less concerned about the unhygienic practise.

The use of infrared thermometers is no longer common at many workplaces visited by PSALMGIST in Lagos.
A respondent who is a teacher in a Lagos State primary school said: “My anxiety about contracting the Ebola virus was what informed my regular hand washing and the use of sanitiser, but it stopped when there was nothing to fear again.”
She added: “Even at our schools, you can go and check, the containers of water for hand washing provided by the government when schools resumed are no longer in use. It is because there is nothing to fear anymore.”

Another respondent, a banker said: “I think regular hand washing has never been part of us and that explains why it is difficult for people to carry on after the Ebola crisis. I can’t remember the last time I did it, since the Ebola virus was over. I can tell you that I wash my hands only when I want to eat and that’s if I am not using a spoon.”
Meanwhile at the airports, health officers could be seen attending to travellers and taking records of their temperature in a manner that suggested the country was still working to prevent further outbreak.

Nigeria recorded seven deaths during the Ebola outbreak, which the WHO currently puts at 6,841 people globally.
According to statistics, the maximum number of Ebola-related deaths and cases was registered in Liberia - 3,290 deaths and 7,797 cumulative cases. Liberia is followed by Sierra Leone (2,033 deaths and 8,273 infected) and Guinea (2,394 and 1,518, respectively).
The first Ebola outbreaks occurred in remote Central African villages, near tropical rainforests. However, major urban and rural areas have been involved in the most recent outbreak in western Africa