Nigeria is struggling in its attempts to contain the COVID19 pandemic. It is important we acknowledge this truth before we continue with this article. We have been struggling since we first closed our borders, months after we should have and have struggled since to test enough people, contain enough people and provide palliative measures for the poorest citizens who we have asked to stay home as a way to flatten the curve. We are already seeing the consequences of this struggle, in Kano state where upwards of 500 elderly Nigerians have died in the space of a week of suspected Coronavirus cases and in Akwa Ibom where the government recently fired Aniekeme Uwam, the state’s epidemiologist for refusing to doctor the figures of cases from the state.

Why does this matter?

The only way we can accurate deploy limited relief efforts is if we have a comprehensive understanding of how the virus has spread, who is at risk and who we need to care for in this difficult times. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in partnership with state epidemiologists are our best bets to provide this information, they have been trained to handle epidemics and know what to do in a worst case scenario. But if they are prevented from giving an accurate representation of the state of our defense against the virus, we might as well just consign our elderly and immuno-compromised to a premature death. This is why reports according to Premium Times from Akwa Ibom state is so worrying.

Dr Aniekeme Uwam is one of the most knowledgable epidemiologists in the country, with continental honours from the African Union for his contributions towards the largely successful fight against the Ebola virus in West Africa. With 11 confirmed cases in Akwa Ibom, the state is technically  in the early stages of infection and may yet be able to turn the tide, provided its professionals are allowed to do their job.

Akwa Ibom currently doesnt have a testing center and has to send its samples out of state before it gets results. At the moment, the state is supposed to have tested 87 people, an abysmally low number for a state where confirmed cases have been recorded. The Akwa Ibom state government can still salvage this situation, provided it embraces transparency.

Editor