A Liberian Public health expert Dr. Tolbert Nyenswah, has challenged health authorities in Liberia to institute similar methods applied by the Incident Management System (IMS) that led to the eradication of the Ebola virus outbreak between 2014 to 2016.
Dr. Nyenswah who was the head of the Incident Management system and later head of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia(NPHIL) disclosed that though the health protocols set aside to defeat COVID-19 around the world are welcoming, but many health protocols that are being put in place are applicable in many African countries, particularly Liberia.
Nyenswah is presently a Senior Research Associate, Department of International Health at the John Hopkins School of Public Health, based in Baltimore, United States of America. He is also a member of the International Panel Global Health Security Index based in Washington, USA.
Speaking on the Truth Breakfast Show (TBS) on Truth 96.1FM in Paynesville, on Tuesday, outside Monrovia via telephone from the United States of America, he pointed out that poor sanitary conditions, lack of electricity, high rate of unemployment, among others make the imposition of a lockdown mandate to prevent the spread of the coronavirus inapplicable in Liberia.
He added that Liberia’s health system remains backward as compare to countries in the Americas, Asia, and Europe that have already introduced a lockdown to curb COVID-19.
Lockdown vs survival
Mr. Nyenswah maintained that it is difficult for residents of slum communities in Liberia, including West Point and New Kru Town to be contained in their respective homes for couple of weeks without the provision of adequate and basic social services to guarantee their survival and enforce the lockdown exercise.
“What works in the United States, China, South Korea or in Italy could not be applicable to countries in Africa, including Liberia. Our health care system, social interactions”, he adds.
” The communities in Liberia cannot be compare with a community in the USA, where I live”, he further pointed out.
The Incident Management System (IMS) headed by Mr. Nyenswah was hailed for the exemplary role played to eliminate the Ebola virus from the country.
According to him, the Weah-led administration, particularly those heading the various committees setup to eradicate the coronavirus from the country must make use of the similar approaches that were used to defeat the Ebola virus.
“The transmission mood of the disease (coronavirus) is a little bit different.
For Ebola, you must have a physical touch with an infected person; their stool, their body parts, urine, or blood before you can contract the disease.
“With coronavirus-you don’t have to physically touch an infected person. It’s transmitted by coughs, sneezes.
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Dr. Nyenswah explained that most people initially died from the Ebola virus outbreak in Liberia because, the command and control center was not functional.
According to the former Liberian official, too many response systems setup at the Ministry of Health, NPHIL, as well as the General Services Agency (GSA) would make things more complicated for the fight against the coronavirus.
Nyenswah further pointed out that the lockdown of the capital, Monrovia will not stop the spread of the coronavirus in its totality.
“Lockdown of Monrovia will not stop the spread of the coronavirus; and it will not stop the spread of the coronavirus in any Africa cities.
The United States locked down; Italy and everybody locked down-it may help to some extend to limit the spread, but it will not stop the disease”.
He said it takes great command and control of the health system of Liberia during this difficult time to control the spread of Coronavirus instead setting up too many committees.
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