The breach of essential preventive measures for COVID-19 has contributed to the rise of a third wave in Nigeria, according to the centre for disease control, but this has been poorly communicated.
Seven months ago, in the wake of a second wave that saw COVID-19 cases shooting up from 122 to an all-time-high of 2,314 in January, communication from the government on the state of things was at a relative high level.
The Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, in the company of key agencies such as the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPCDA) held frequent briefings, highlighting the danger lurking.
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But as a third wave looms with more than 100 percent rise in daily caseloads, the convergence of communication from these government bodies has nosedived.
The presidential committee has stopped meeting for daily briefings and all communications have been split through individual channels of ministries and agencies.
This is unfortunately a post-Twitter-ban era, when agencies such as the NCDC, NPHCDA or state ministries of health no longer enjoy the widespread visibility that comes with tweeting updates on new case confirmations, deaths or recoveries for all to see.
Osagie Ehanire, the minister of health, admitted to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance on Thursday that the setting up of the PSC with relevant ministries and agencies as a response mechanism had given strong support to the fight against the pandemic.
Communication for the NCDC, for instance, has reduced to posting updates on its official website, cutting the length of reach to many Nigerians who had become conscious of the data around the pandemic.
The centre has a lot to say and reiterate to the population as cases keep rising but it seems withdrawn to winking in the dark.
The last four days have seen cases sustained at over 200, a situation Chike Ihekweazu, director-general, NCDC, told BusinessDay was being fuelled by continued breach of preventive measures.
This coupled with the faster spread of Delta, the latest variant of concern that is rocking most countries.
“There are varying factors associated with an increase in COVID-19 cases. Many countries across the world are experiencing periods of surges in COVID-19 infections. In most countries, this has been associated with the Delta variant of the virus, which has increased transmissibility,” Ihekweazu explained in a mailed response to BusinessDay.
“Additionally, as the virus spreads when people are in contact with others, the resumption of social gatherings with poor adherence to public health and social measures are contributing to an increase in cases,” he said.
The pandemic is far from over, according to the director-general, and the recent rise in cases in Nigeria highlights the urgent need for people to take personal and collective responsibility.
If preventive measures such as avoiding large gatherings, wearing a face mask properly in public, regular hand washing with clean water and soap or using alcohol-based hand sanitiser are abandoned for carefreeness, some could suffer the risk posed by the virus.
The Delta variant is tearing through unvaccinated populations, presenting a huge risk to health workers, older populations and those with underlying conditions.
“It is also very important to get vaccinated as this provides protection against the disease,” he said, noting, “It is critical that we do all these now as we still have a window of opportunity to prevent a surge in COVID-19 cases in Nigeria and its devastating impact on lives and livelihood.”
These vital pieces of information could have been shared on Twitter. But the government has maintained a draconian suspension on the social media application, accusing its management of undermining its sovereignty.
Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the Federation on Friday, told Nigerians to use alternative media such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Tiktok, among others, whereas most of these important agencies and ministries do not hold official accounts on these apps.
Until the government rescinds its action, it could be a long walk with a dark view for pandemic communication in the country.
