Virologist Alerts FG, Warns Against Future Pandemic

Prof. Olatunji Kolawole of University of Ilorin has called on the Federal Government to develop and improve on capacity to fight future outbreak of communicable diseases in the country.
Kolawole, a professor of Medical Virology and Environmental Health, made the last Friday, during a Public Lecture at Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo.
The lecture, organised by Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II College of Natural and Applied Sciences of the institution, had the theme; “Combating Communicable Diseases: The Nigerian Experience”.
The environmental health expert said the call became necessary because some clusters of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever (VHF) had been identified in the country.
“While virologists are not in the business of instilling fear, the potential impact of another viral hemorrhagic fever outbreak in the country is enormous.
“It is on record that West Nile virus, Zika virus, Rift valley fever virus, Yellow fever virus, Chikungunya virus and Dengue virus have all been identified in clusters in Nigeria,” he alerted.
According to him, there is need for every government to make investments in health security in the same way that investments are made in cybersecurity, and others.
“Like in the words of Richard Hatchett, government’s, just to say, have invested in cybersecurity, to address computer viruses in a digitally interconnected world.
“They need to invest in biosecurity to address real viruses in a biologically interconnected world,” the virologist said.