FOLLOWING a resurgence of COVID-19 in 22 African countries and the detection of the Indian strain by the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases in Ede, Osun State, the Federal Government has rightly introduced new directives to forestall a third wave of the disease. COVID-19 has killed over 3.3 million people worldwide.
Apart from denying entry to non-Nigerians who had visited India, Turkey and Brazil in the last two weeks, the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 rightly restored the enforcement of the health protection regulations, which had become lax in recent times. Such regulations include a nationwide curfew from 12 midnight to 4 am and shutting of night clubs, while gatherings at venues of social and religious activities should not exceed 50 per cent capacity.
This is a timely intervention given the fact that a measly 0.83 per cent of Nigeria’s 206 million-strong population has received partial COVID-19 vaccination. This means Nigeria is still very much susceptible to the disease and is far from attaining herd immunity. Sadly, however, even though over 165,000 Nigerians have contracted the disease in the past year, reports say most people have generally thrown caution to the wind by shunning non-pharmaceutical initiatives like social distancing, wearing masks, and washing of hands. Health Minister, Osagie Ehanire, says the experience of other countries shows the unpredictability of this disease, such that countries in Asia, such as India, Pakistan, and Thailand, have been badly shaken by the enormity of the new wave of infections.
As the virus mutates globally, the World Health Organisation is closely monitoring 10 COVID variants, labelled as a “variant of interest” or the more serious designation “variant of concern,” which is generally defined as a mutated strain that is more contagious, more deadly, and more resistant to current vaccines and treatments. Nigerians have generally, and prematurely, adopted a false sense of victory due to a drop in the number of COVID-19 cases in recent times leading to the closure of several isolation centres. However, experience suggests that COVID-19 is a stubborn disease as shown in the second wave of the pandemic in the country last December.
Its recent resurgence in India demonstrates how dangerous and resilient the disease can be. India, which is the largest producer of COVID-19 vaccines in the world, had all but declared victory over the coronavirus. Due to public apathy and a poll in December showing that nearly 70 per cent of Indians were not willing to take vaccines, the country had not been able to vaccinate up to 2.0 per cent of its 1.3 billion population. Unsurprisingly, by March, it witnessed a spike in infections that has been attributed to mass gatherings at religious festivals and election rallies, as well as the spread of a more infectious variant of the virus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also been severely criticised for putting politics and campaigning above public safety.
India has witnessed shortages of oxygen, hospital beds and other medicines, as well as an unprecedented rise in infections hitting an average of 400,000 new cases per day and 153 deaths per hour, according to the CNBC. The Indian tragedy was completely avoidable.
Nigeria must therefore learn from this. With Africa not being able to compete with other continents for vaccines, the future remains bleak. Last week, the WHO’s Africa Regional Director, Matshidiso Moeti, captured the situation saying, “Here on the African continent, there is a potential for a surge in cases. South Africa has just reported 2,000 cases overnight and around 10 other countries are reporting an upward trend. With delays and shortages of vaccine supplies, African countries are slipping further behind the rest of the world in the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, now accounting for only 1.0 per cent of the vaccines administered worldwide, down from 2.0 per cent a few weeks ago.”
Developing nations had hoped to access COVID-19 vaccines through the WHO’s COVAX facility. Unfortunately, the situation in India has affected the worldwide supply of the AstraZeneca drug, which is the cheapest in the market. With the shortage, many African countries like Nigeria are in a quagmire. Indeed, such challenges could have been avoided had Nigeria invested heavily in medical research like its western counterparts which are now reaping the fruit of their labour.
According to the Federal Government, Nigeria hopes to purchase 29.5 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine through the AVAT initiative coordinated by the Afrexim Bank. About N29.1 billion has already been released albeit with no clear date of delivery. Developed countries should shun what South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, described as vaccine apartheid. Developing countries should not be denied access to vaccines because of poverty. Advanced nations should therefore use their excess vaccine supplies to support poorer countries battling COVID-19.
Nigeria should do everything possible to avert a third wave of COVID-19. The situation last December and January when some persons reportedly died due to a shortage of oxygen exposed the deficiencies in the nation’s health sector which remains poorly funded. Prevention remains the best and most effective strategy. If India, with a much better health care sector that was projected to earn $9 billion from medical tourism before COVID-19 struck in 2020 is in such dire straits, Nigeria’s fate in a deadly third wave is better imagined.
While the Federal Government must ensure strict vigilance at the nation’s airports, the states must also play their part by increasing their testing capacity. Virologist and Chairman, Expert Review Committee on COVID-19, Oyewale Tomori, has repeatedly stated that Nigeria’s testing capacity remains weak, which perhaps gives citizens a false representation of the true situation. Consequently, the states should resist the urge of relying solely on the Federal Government. The private sector must continue to play its part by providing funding support.
Isolation centres should be well-equipped and prepared for a possible third wave. The government should also address the grievances of resident doctors who have threatened to embark on another strike soon if their demands are not met. Religious leaders must stop discouraging their members from taking vaccines as this could prove deadly. All hands must be on deck if Nigeria is to defeat this pandemic.
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