Government says all International travellers arriving in Nigeria are now required to provide evidence of vaccination at the points of entry.

This came following the reported upsurge in Covid-19 in China, Japan, the United States of America and other countries.

Nigeria also said unvaccinated passengers arriving from other countries may have to be vaccinated at the airport.

The Director of Port Health Services, Dr. Geoffrey Okatubo disclosed this at the ministerial briefing held in Abuja.

The government had in December relaxed the Covid-19 rules in the country.

It said “all pre-departure and post-arrival PCR test requirements for all persons who are not fully vaccinated have been suspended and passengers will no longer be required to upload evidence of vaccination on the Nigeria International Travel Portal.”

“The Minister of Health recently approved that Port Health Services should meet with other stakeholders such as the NCDC, the Ministry of Aviation, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, and relevant unions over the use of rapid diagnostic test kits for testing any suspected ill passenger at the points of entry.

“Port Health Services officers are still positioned at the seaport and offshore platforms to screen all crew and passengers coming into the country,” Okatubo explained.

China’s decision to relax its strict Covid-19 rules to curb the virus has forced many countries to impose restrictions on travellers from China amid fears of an increase in Covid-19.

NP/ Mercy Chukwudiebere

A Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Caleb Udogwu, has advised Nigerians to report persons with mental ill health early at recognised health facilities for medical interventions.

Udogwu, who works with the Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital Yaba, Lagos Southwest Nigeria, gave the advice in an interview on Tuesday.

The psychiatrist said that “early report and diagnosis of mental ailments would help to curtail the number of rising cases in the country.”

He said that “mental health cases were on the increase in the country because they were hardly reported at the right hospitals and at the right time as most people patronised traditional healers first.”

Early medical intervention

According to him, mental health conditions can be easily controlled if such cases are taken to the right hospitals in good time for proper diagnosis and treatment.

”Early medical intervention is key to treatment of any ailment particularly mental ailments.

”Unfortunately, people with mental health challenges suffer a lot of dejection, denials, stigmatisation and discrimination, which were not helpful to management and recovery from their conditions.

”A lot of them were denied access to mental health services and were rather chained and locked up or taken to traditional healers where their conditions were allowed to become more complicated…This most times are due to the traditional/ cultural beliefs, stigmatisation and misconceptions associated with mental illness in society,” he said.

He decried the stigma usually associated with mental health condition, saying it was a factor that discouraged people from seeking medical help.

Udogwu noted that to determine a mental health diagnosis and check for related complications, a physical examination, laboratory tests and a psychological evaluation may be required.

He also said that it was necessary that mental health cases should be reported to recognised health facilities.

Udogwu traced the cause of mental health conditions to drug abuse, depression, hardship or hereditary, but maintained that it could be cured if it was detected and treated early.

He urged Nigerians to watch their mental health by going for mental health assessment and treatment to ensure their mental health fitness.

NAN/ Mercy Chukwudiebere

The Bauchi State Primary healthcare Development Agency says no fewer than 1,000 primary healthcare centers (PHCs) are providing routine immunization services to curb childhood disease in all the 20 local Government councils.

Incidence Manager, Emergency Operation Center (EOC), Salihu Idris said this on Tuesday.

Idris said that the agency also conducts outreach exercises to communities to fight the scourge through immunization.

He said; “The state has provided access to routine immunisation to fight under-five killer diseases.

“We conduct outreach to communities that are two kilometers away from the facilities and mobile outreach to communities that are five kilometers away from facilities across the state.

“Some 323 out of the over 1,000 PHCs have isolation centres for treatment of the outbreak.” 

Speaking on diphtheria, the EOC manager said that the state has strengthened its surveillance response teams across all the state borders.

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He said that “the agency is currently developing a preparedness plan for prompt response of diseases in the state.”

Idris said that health personnel were also trained on symptoms and case finding to fast track treatment.

“We also have alerted our health personnel to watch out for symptoms such as skin ulcers, thick gray-white coating that may cover the back of your throat, nose and tongue and haste isolation and further treatment.

“Diptheria is a bacterial and transmitted disease that children are immunized against.

“Children are immunised against diptheria from six, 10 and fourteen weeks of age using the pentavalent vaccine,” he said.

Idris called on the general public not to panic but report any child that presents with the symptoms to the nearest health facility.

He also urged the public to maintain Environmental and personal hygiene.

NAN/ Mercy Chukwudiebere