Pay attention To Infection Prevention Control, Expert Says—An infectious diseases physician, Dr Iorhen Akase, says Nigerians have failed to learn from the COVID-19 experience, saying disregard for Infection Prevention Control (IPC) practice is evident in most hospitals and communities.
Akase, Head of Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Medicine, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), made the assertion in an interview with the Newsmen on Tuesday in Lagos.
He noted that most people were in a hurry to move on with their lives forgeting that the country was still battling diseases such as monkeypox, COVID-19, Lassa fever, Cholera, which are major public health concerns.
“If you go to some hospitals or organisations, processes for infection prevention control are no longer there; no running water, soaps to wash hands, no gloves.
“In communities, lessons that we are supposed to have learnt on being conscious about hand hygiene are now being neglected. Most people are in a hurry to move on with their lives.
“Unfortunately, when it comes to infectious diseases of epidemic potential, it is not only about the disease entity you are dealing with at that particular time.
“You have to start thinking of how to prevent the disease and other outbreaks that can come out later,” he said.
Akase appealed to the government to improve public sensitisation and engage the whole of society for effective pandemic preparedness and response.
“What we have said repeatedly about COVID-19, is to understand why this pandemic came, and prepare for the next one.
“There should be budget for this kind of structure; hospitals have closed down all activation centres, redeployed all staff that have IPC expertise.
“Some staff have traveled out of the country, so if another pandemic comes, we will go back to the scratch and start building processes and creating committees.
“It is frustrating to see the same pattern repeating itself again,” he said.
He said that the current situation was not the best global practice, noting that pandemics and large-scale outbreaks could claim millions of lives, disrupt societies and devastate economies.
According to him, most infectious diseases can be controlled through effective preparedness and constant hand hygiene practice by citizens.
He appealed to the government to prepare for the next pandemic, pay attention to climate change, rodent control, housing standard noting that they contribute to increasing interaction of humans and animals
