Adedokun Waliyu 
The West African Health Organisation (WAHO) yesterday said that about $50 million is required by West African countries to tackle Coronavirus.
It said that amount will be used to create an ecosystem and put in place, critical personal protection equipment, laboratory supplies, communication and coordination strategies towards Coronavirus response.
The Director General of WAHO, Professor. Stanley Okolo who spoke at a press briefing yesterday in Abuja, said that only about 18 countries in Africa including Nigeria have the laboratory capacity to test for the virus.
Okolo said that ministers of health of ECOWAS had at the emergency meeting on February 14, 2020 agreed to come up with a regional plan and strategy for coronavirus.
He said the meeting agreed that all the member states will support the plan to the best of their capacity.
Also speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Olorunibe Mamora said that the federal government is monitoring the health of Nigerian citizens in China through the Nigerian Ambassador and will not hesitate to evacuate them if the need arises.
He said, “We are in touch with our Ambassador in China and the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria is also in touch with the ministry, and we are getting information on the condition of Nigerians in Wuhan and we are monitoring the health of our citizens. If and when the need arises to evacuate them, we will do so but we don’t want a situation we create panic. This is not time for fear; this is not time for stigmatization; it is time for science. Chinese government is testing everyone that is trying to leave China to ensure that they don’t go and spread the virus”.
Mamora who noted that Nigeria has a plan as part of its preparedness, said there may be need for Nigeria to assist some of her sister countries in ECOWAS.
He observed that though there are insinuations that Coronavirus may not survive in a very hot environment, government will not relax but rather will intensify its preparedness and response efforts to ensure that Nigerians are safe.
