* PTF coordinator says Nigerians hold key to coming out of
crisis soon
The Federal Government has said that it is using an electronic
data collecting tool developed during the Ebola outbreak to drive
Nigeria’s response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
(NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated this at the daily briefing of
the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
According to him, the centre is making use of data to drive
responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country for proper
management.
“The agency developed an electronic data collecting tool after
the Ebola outbreak. The tool was the reason why Nigerians see the
data of cases every day. The NCDC also has a tool for logistics
management. We can tell with this tool where every single mask,
medical gown or sanitiser has gone,” Dr Ihekweazu stated.
“We have a tool called Tatafo to help manage misinformation and
develop targeted messages once we notice rumours or misinformation.
We can give the data of every single person that has received any
item from NCDC.”
“One of our biggest lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak was the
need for electronic disease surveillance.
“We‘ve moved from paper-based to real-time reporting and
analysis using the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and
Analysis System (SORMAS).
“This enables public health decision making on the country’s
COVID-19 response.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force, Dr Sani
Aliyu, has said only the maximum support of Nigerians with the
government and security agencies will quicken the process of coming
out of the pandemic crisis at the soonest possible time.
He also urged security agencies and state structures to provide
support and supervision that will ensure compliance to the eased
lockdown guidelines.
“Nigeria’s chances of coming out of this crisis sooner depends
on absolute compliance of Nigerians to the eased lockdown
guidelines. The Presidential Task Force continues to be very
concerned about the level of compliance with the eased lockdown
guidelines that we introduced last week across the country but most
especially in Lagos.
“We have called on state security agencies and state structures
to provide support and supervision that will ensure compliance to
the eased lockdown guidelines. In this regard, we are appealing
strongly to the public to cooperate with the state security
agencies in the interest of public safety,” Aliyu said.
Speaking on the reasons for the ease of the lockdown, he
remarked: “There is a very good reason why the PTF eased the
lockdown last week. It was partly because we wanted to provide an
opportunity to cushion Nigerians and by extension, opportunities
for business to re-establish some economic activities towards the
gradual re-opening of the Nigerian economy.
“We also had a bundle of measures which we realised, if fully
implemented, if fully delivered by everybody, would have the same
impact with that of an absolute lockdown. I must emphasize that the
COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria is far from over. Our chances of
coming out of this crisis sooner rather than later depends on our
absolute compliance to the eased lockdown guidelines. We must do
everything to prevent another spike and spread of the virus during
the eased lockdown.”
On her part, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster
Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, while
giving an update on federal palliatives measures, said the ministry
has made progress on overhauling the school feeding programme
pursuant to the directives of the president.
“We want to give take-home rations to the school children in
conjunction with States. The school feeding programme will be
carried out based on the data we have,” the minister said.
* PTF coordinator says Nigerians hold key to coming out of
crisis soon
The Federal Government has said that it is using an electronic
data collecting tool developed during the Ebola outbreak to drive
Nigeria’s response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control
(NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, stated this at the daily briefing of
the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19.
According to him, the centre is making use of data to drive
responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country for proper
management.
“The agency developed an electronic data collecting tool after
the Ebola outbreak. The tool was the reason why Nigerians see the
data of cases every day. The NCDC also has a tool for logistics
management. We can tell with this tool where every single mask,
medical gown or sanitiser has gone,” Dr Ihekweazu stated.
“We have a tool called Tatafo to help manage misinformation and
develop targeted messages once we notice rumours or misinformation.
We can give the data of every single person that has received any
item from NCDC.”
“One of our biggest lessons from the 2014 Ebola outbreak was the
need for electronic disease surveillance.
“We‘ve moved from paper-based to real-time reporting and
analysis using the Surveillance Outbreak Response Management and
Analysis System (SORMAS).
“This enables public health decision making on the country’s
COVID-19 response.
The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force, Dr Sani
Aliyu, has said only the maximum support of Nigerians with the
government and security agencies will quicken the process of coming
out of the pandemic crisis at the soonest possible time.
He also urged security agencies and state structures to provide
support and supervision that will ensure compliance to the eased
lockdown guidelines.
“Nigeria’s chances of coming out of this crisis sooner depends
on absolute compliance of Nigerians to the eased lockdown
guidelines. The Presidential Task Force continues to be very
concerned about the level of compliance with the eased lockdown
guidelines that we introduced last week across the country but most
especially in Lagos.
“We have called on state security agencies and state structures
to provide support and supervision that will ensure compliance to
the eased lockdown guidelines. In this regard, we are appealing
strongly to the public to cooperate with the state security
agencies in the interest of public safety,” Aliyu said.
Speaking on the reasons for the ease of the lockdown, he
remarked: “There is a very good reason why the PTF eased the
lockdown last week. It was partly because we wanted to provide an
opportunity to cushion Nigerians and by extension, opportunities
for business to re-establish some economic activities towards the
gradual re-opening of the Nigerian economy.
“We also had a bundle of measures which we realised, if fully
implemented, if fully delivered by everybody, would have the same
impact with that of an absolute lockdown. I must emphasize that the
COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria is far from over. Our chances of
coming out of this crisis sooner rather than later depends on our
absolute compliance to the eased lockdown guidelines. We must do
everything to prevent another spike and spread of the virus during
the eased lockdown.”
On her part, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster
Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, while
giving an update on federal palliatives measures, said the ministry
has made progress on overhauling the school feeding programme
pursuant to the directives of the president.
“We want to give take-home rations to the school children in
conjunction with States. The school feeding programme will be
carried out based on the data we have,” the minister said.