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  • China’s research in major international infectious diseases benefits whole world

    China’s research in major international infectious diseases benefits whole world

    By Hu Yuwei and Li Lei

    As China ranks among the world’s first-tier countries in treating health emergency, its efforts in prevention and control of major international infectious diseases have increasingly become globally visible.

    China has contributed five WHO-certified emergency medical teams (EMT) for a total of 25 international teams from 15 countries.

    Amid the outbreak of Avian influenza, A (H7N9) in 2013, China identified the new-typed H7N9 pathogen within only five days. China immediately released the whole gene sequence to the world and, through the WHO, extended the test method to Cambodia, Thailand and other countries within seven days.

    Many international institutes including the CDC and the WHO praised China for earning time and making a significant contribution to the global effort in the fight against the emerging epidemic.

    China’s success is partly due to its rapid detection of viruses, as well as a sound online direct reporting system. It is capable of rapidly detecting more than 300 pathogens in 72 hours, remarkably contributing to its successful control of Avian influenza A (H7N9) and other seasonal influenza.

    After SARS in 2003, China has set up the world’s largest online direct reporting system for infectious disease outbreaks and public health emergencies, mandating reports of primary medical institutions be directly heard of by the national Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within just four hours.

    China’s experience in dealing with H7N9 and SARS has greatly improved its scientific and technological innovation capacity in monitoring, diagnosis and treatment of seasonal influenza and other emergencies.

    Such achievements were also exported and shared in the prevention and control of Ebola in Africa.

    In December 2016, a Chinese research team developed the rAd5-based Ebola vaccine and it has successfully gone through test in clinical trials in Sierra Leone, the African country severely affected by Ebola.

    This is the first time for a Chinese vaccine go through clinical trials abroad. The research team from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences of the People’s Liberation Army then quickly shared their findings with the whole world by publishing scientific papers in the Lancet, the world’s leading general medical journal.

    Chinese vaccines for world

    After years of exploration, China not only has achieved self-support in terms of vaccine development and manufacturing, but also helped people of other countries get good and affordable vaccines.

    Jiao Hong, head of the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA), said that China has 45 vaccine manufacturers that can produce more than 60 vaccines and prevent 34 diseases. Every year these enterprises produce more than 1 billion doses of vaccines.

    “China is one of the few countries that is self-dependent to produce all the planned immunization vaccines,” Jiao said in a press conference held by the NMPA in June 29.

    “So far, some of China’s vaccine products have been exported to countries along the Belt and Road Initiative, making contributions to guarding people’s health in other parts of the world,” Jiao said.

    On December 3, 2015, the world’s first inactivated EV71 whole-virus vaccine developed by the Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS) was approved by the China Food and Drug Administration.

    The world’s only vaccine against Hepatitis E infection was developed by the team led by Professor Xia Ningshao of Xiamen University. It was approved for testing in the US on January 12, making it the first Chinese vaccine product to be approved by the US’ Food and Drug Administration for clinical testing.

    An official of the China National Biotec Group surnamed Jia told the Global Times that the company has exported a total of 84 million doses of vaccines and other medical products and has donated more than 7 million doses of vaccines to other developing countries.

    The Encephalitis B vaccine developed by the enterprise passed the WHO prequalification in 2013, becoming the first attenuated encephalitis B vaccine to pass the WHO prequalification. The vaccine has been enlisted in such country’s immunization plans as Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Thailand and supported in Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia via government-assistance programs, said Jia.

    Source：Global Times

  • Here’s what U.S. has contributed to global efforts amid epidemic

    Here’s what U.S. has contributed to global efforts amid epidemic

    By Zhong Sheng

    The public health emergency of the novel coronavirus pneumonia exactly exposed the unhealthy mentality of certain country in handling international relations and cooperation.

    The U.S. government was recently reported to have delayed a foreign aid fund it promised and announced to reduce financial support to the World Health Organization (WHO) when the world is at a critical moment in the combat against the epidemic.

    Such practice further explained the role of the U.S. in international relations.

    U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced recently on social media that Washington would offer up to $100 million to China and other countries affected by the coronavirus to combat its spread, saying “This commitment demonstrates strong U.S. leadership in response to the outbreak.”

    However, when asked about the implementation of the fund at a news conference held on Feb.10 in Washington, James Richardson, director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources at the State Department, said the $100 million was just an upper limit.

    Except for some assigned projects to help Laos, he didn’t disclose further details about the fund.

    Any constructive international cooperation shall be welcomed in this global public health challenge, including the assistance promised by the U.S. for Southeast Asian countries such as Laos.

    However, people would question that the implementation of the assistance obviously doesn’t match what Washington has promised. What’s more, the delayed aid is also not convincing enough to back the “strong leadership” claimed by the U.S. government.

    From announcing a high-profile aid plan to being vague about concrete action, what on earth is the intention of the U.S. govement?

    When this question is still confusing the world, it is followed by a 2021 budget proposal that says the White House seeks to halve U.S. funding for the WHO which is leading the fight against the coronavirus outbreak at this critical moment.

    Washington explained that to offer direct aid funding to designated countries is a better way to deal with public health emergencies. However, this explanation further confused the world – if the U.S. believes direct aid is more effective, then what is it doing to make its promised $100-million aid effective?

    What it has done is clear. The country was the first to announce a travel ban against China, which clearly violated the WHO’s recommendation. Some U.S. politicians even took the lead in spreading conspiracy theories and used the epidemic to discredit China.

    Such dark mentality and dangerous practices go against not only the U.S. claim of “strong leadership”, but also the bottom line of human civilization.

    It’s interesting that when most American health experts and citizens hope to work with the world to defeat the epidemic, Washington is politicalizing the matter and running counter to the voice of the masses.

    In recent years, America, the leading country in the world, has shown decreasing enthusiasm for international cooperation and reduced support for global multilateral systems, which is the biggest concern of the international society over the country’s diplomacy. The arbitrary practices of the U.S. are constantly worsening the negative impacts on global governance, which is further indicated by the remarks and practices of the U.S. amid the current epidemic.

    Countries are interconnected in today’s world where one who tries to blow out other’s oil lamp will get his beard on fire. As a result, to strengthen cooperation remains the only right choice to cope with challenges.

    (Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)

  • So-called freedom never an excuse for loss of humanity

    So-called freedom never an excuse for loss of humanity

    By Che Bin

    Spanish writer Lola Beccaria who has been living in Shanghai for three years recently published an article on Spanish newspaper El País to show support for China’s efforts to combat the novel coronavirus epidemic.

    She said that the Chinese are humorous, lively and friendly, and they remain unchanged in the epidemic. The Spanish writer saw the persistence of cities, as well as the conviction, equanimity and orderliness of the people. Everything the Chinese do is to defeat the epidemic, she wrote.

    However, what’s in stark contrast to this is the arrogance and prejudice of some western media which totally ignored the appeal of the World Health Organization (WHO), national leaders and other voices of justice in the international society to oppose stigma and discrimination. Such practice exactly exposed their unwisdom and viciousness, and will never be supported by the public.

    Those who go against justice and morality will only receive condemnation. An article recently published by the Wall Street Journal that fans racial discrimination was refuted and opposed by its subscribers. Over 100,000 people have signed on the petitioning system of the White House to request apologies to the Chinese communities and a retitling or removal of the report.

    German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel also triggered anger of the masses for the headline splashed across the magazine’s current cover that associates the novel coronavirus with “made in China.” Such practice was described as shameful by German internet users.

    French newspaper Courrier Picard used “yellow peril” to report the epidemic, and was refuted by the French daily Le Figaro who said the practice was blatant racial discrimination against Asians in disguise of humor.
    After Denmark’s Jyllands-Posten printed a cartoon insulting the Chinese national flag, a city councilor of Odense, Denmark pointed out that the media outlet should apologize as it is not a question of free speech, but humanity.

    The New York Times jumped to a conclusion that the epidemic might develop to a pandemic. However, the WHO immediately refuted it with authoritativeness that the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak is not a pandemic.
    Media is an important tool to disseminate social information in the modern society, and a major channel for the public to learn the truths of news events. An article of the Time magazine recently compared the news coverage of the novel coronavirus in 2020 to that of Ebola in 2018, and found that the coverage of the 2019-nCoV had been unusually heavy.

    “It seems to me that the coronavirus is being covered in more sensationalistic terms than Ebola in 2018,” said Steven Miller, a professor at the Rutgers School of Journalism and Media Studies.
    What people should stay alert to is the “common practices” of certain western media to exaggerate fear and fan up social discrimination. The reason for such phenomenon is their inability to keep pace with time, as well as the “civilization privileges” and “zero-sum games” that crammed their brains.

    Ignoring the efforts and achievements made by the Chinese people in combating the epidemic, stigmatizing China with racism, and impeding the efforts of the international society by creating panic, these media outlets have lost their sense for basic moral and social responsibility.

    Besides, humanity is also absent in their indifferent and ugly reports which turn a totally blind eye to the death of the unfortunate and the forces of justice that are still fighting the virus to protect lives.

    The notorious Wall Street Journal article kept saying that “the 21st century has been an age of black swans”, but it failed to understand the true intention of Nassim Nicholas Taleb who invented the term. In Taleb’s book Hidden Asymmetries in Daily Life, he called on the world to share responsibilities in a bid to cope with uncertainties in reality, which is exactly a practical warning for the current time.

    It’s important that media shall never chase for the so-called “freedom” and lose their humanity when human beings are impacted by uncertainties such as virus attacks. What is the meaning for the existence of media if it arbitrarily escapes responsibility and morality? That is something that some western media should think.

  • China maintains social, economic stability while ensuring epidemic control

    China maintains social, economic stability while ensuring epidemic control

    By People’s Daily

    The prevention and control of the novel coronavirus epidemic is essential to the stability of China’s general economic development. Only by keeping stable economic and social operation, can the battle against the virus be firmly supported.

    The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on Wednesday held a meeting on the prevention and control of the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus. The meeting called on Party committees and governments at all levels to minimize the impact of the epidemic to maintain steady economic performance as well as social harmony and stability, and urged them to strive to achieve this year’s economic and social development goals and tasks.

    Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core has always put people’s lives and health in the first place, relied on the people and resolutely launched a people’s war against the virus. Besides, it maintained close monitoring on economic operation, precisely controlled the economic impacts of the epidemic, and made timely decisions and deployment.
    Party committees and governments at all levels fulfilled their responsibilities, and did a great job in stabilizing employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign and domestic investments, and expectations while enhancing prevention and control of the epidemic. It managed to keep stable production, and maintained normal economic and social orders.

    Under the central and unified leadership of the CPC Central Committee, positive changes happened to the epidemic, and effective results have been achieved. A slew of policies and measures to reduce the impacts of the epidemic are taking effects, maintaining the general stability of the society. The whole country, united together, is demonstrating a firm will and strong positive energy to win the battle against the epidemic.

    The building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the 13th Five-Year Plan come to a close in 2020. The “black swan” of the novel coronavirus pneumonia would create difficulties and challenges for China to achieve its annual economic and social development goals. However, the impacts are short-term and periodical, and will not affect the supply of production factors and productivity in the long run. The fundamentals for sound and stable growth of the Chinese economy remain unchanged.

    The necessary production factors for high-quality development remain unchanged. And the overall momentum of long-term stability and progress remains unchanged.
    China is a major country that has strong resilience, huge potential and enough space for maneuver. As long as it stays confident, faces up to the problems and difficulties, and tries its best to minimize the influence of the epidemic, it will be able to achieve this year’s economic and social development goals and tasks, and guarantee a successful finishing of the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

    To achieve the goals and tasks, the country must make full efforts to guarantee the prevention and control of the epidemic and strive for an early win. In addition, it should enhance macroeconomic control, give more play to the role of proactive fiscal policies, maintain flexibility of the prudent monetary policy, and roll out periodical and targeted tax reduction measures to relive strains of enterprises.

    Meanwhile, the country should offer differentiated and preferential financial services for regions, industries and enterprises that are prone to the impacts of the epidemic, issue policies to ensure employment stability, roll out a package of measures to support micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, expand domestic demand while stabilizing external demand, accelerate a batch of major projects in key areas and expand consumption to offset the impacts.
    As long as China sticks to the “bottom-line thinking”, takes proactive actions and ensures resolute efforts, it will be able to achieve a “double-victory” over both epidemic prevention and economic development.

    China will surely defeat the virus. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping as the core, the country will definitely reduce the losses to the lowest, and continue its efforts to build a moderately prosperous society in all respects and eliminate poverty. It will strive for this year’s economic and social development goals and tasks, and head toward its grand goal.

  • Let science build strong power against epidemic

    Let science build strong power against epidemic

    By He Yin

    In the era of globalization, human beings are living in a global village where they share the same welfare and responsibilities. The threat posed by any infectious disease is against the entire human race, regardless of nationality, region, ethnicity or group.

    This is a new challenge faced by the human beings. History cannot be rewound. We should move forward bravely and fight the epidemic. Only by achieving the final victory over the battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia, can the world, which is shared by all human beings, enjoy a bright future. Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed that scientific research must be stepped up to defeat the epidemic.

    “We need your collective knowledge, insight and experience to answer the questions we don’t have answers to,” said Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of the World Health Organization (WHO) when addressing a research and innovation forum on the novel coronavirus.

    His remarks echo the voice from the international community which is coordinating global research power, discovering the focus of research, and developing therapeutic schemes and vaccines. Pulling wisdom to draw the WHO R&D Blueprint, experts from across the world are offering sample tests for countries and regions incapable of such technology, and sharing the latest achievements on epidemiology.

    The entire science world is conducting cooperation on the most urgent issue, which is closely related to the safety and lives of the people from each country.

    Cooperation and solidarity are the sharpest weapon against the epidemic, and concerted efforts on scientific research will provide the strongest support. Cooperation is especially important when many countries around the world are seeing the danger posed by the novel coronavirus.

    The WHO research and innovation forum on the novel coronavirus held recently was attended by over 400 deputies, signaling a positive and vital signal to the world when the novel coronavirus pneumonia has spread to over 20 countries and regions. To combat the epidemic calls for coordinated actions of the science world.

    To cut the spread of the novel coronavirus with the sword of science is a mission that allows no hesitation. China, battling on the frontline, has rapidly integrated scientific power and increased efforts on R&D to enhance development of targeted drugs. It has always followed the principle of opening cooperation and actively conducted international collaboration, making unique contribution to the prevention and control of the epidemic.
    China’s endeavors aim at the current difficulty, and also an effective mechanism of global synergy for scientific research, epidemic control and clinic treatment. It is recognized by the international society that China has demonstrated its sense of responsibility through its active actions and openness in scientific research as a science power of major influence.

    Building of a people-oriented community with a shared future for mankind is a major undertaking of the time. In the epidemic, China maintains close cooperation with the world and the world chooses to stand with China. It is for the wellbeing of the human race. China identified the pathogens in record time, shared the genetic sequence of the novel coronavirus with the world, and helped other countries create diagnosis kits to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

    By maintaining close cooperation with the German health department, carriers of the novel coronavirus were quickly discovered and quarantined in Germany. Such open, transparent and responsible practice received high appraise from the WHO. Chinese scientists have gained rich first-hand experiences, which made them important participants and contributors to the WHO R&D Blueprint.
    “So it’s that kind of solidarity we need, solidarity, solidarity,
    solidarity,” said Tedros. The awareness of the shared destiny and the spirit of cooperation urged by the WHO are indispensable for human beings to cope with public health challenges. The battles against viruses in human history proved that only through scientific cooperation and sharing the results with the world can people be protected.

    It will not be forgotten that China’s wide practice of inoculation against smallpox in the 16th century had benefited many countries on the Eurasian continent. It will not be forgotten that China launched its largest-ever overseas medical aid mission when Ebola virus broke out in West Africa in 2014.

    China was the first to send emergency materials by charter planes and the first to send medical teams to the epidemic zones. It has donated a total of more than $120 million and sent over 1,200 medics to the epidemic zones and 13 surrounding countries.

    China tested virus samples, sent mobile biosafety labs, aided fixed biosafety labs, and trained local medical and public health personnel. China’s practices, addressing both the urgent demand and long-term issues, were hailed by African countries and the international society.

    Diseases are public enemy of all the people across the world. It’s a major test of the wisdom and capability of the international society in preventing and controlling the current epidemic.
    Tedros also repeatedly called on the world to not politicalize science. When racing against the epidemic, the world must join hands and find a solution to eliminate the virus as soon as possible. China is accelerating its actions to build a strong power against the epidemic, and so are the global scientists that respond to the call of justice.

  • China’s Response on COVID-19 Responsible, Decisive, Effective

    China’s Response on COVID-19 Responsible, Decisive, Effective

    By Zhou Pingjian

    At the moment, the prevention and control of the COVID-19 outbreak is the top priority of the Chinese government. As President Xi Jinping stressed on February 12 at the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, the epidemic control and prevention are now at their toughest and most critical period, and the country must spare no effort to continue with key tasks against the contagion.

    China has leveraged its institutional strengths and started an all-out, nationwide people’s war against the novel coronavirus epidemic. The government has taken the most thorough and rigorous measures, many of which have far exceeded what WHO and International Health Regulations required. As of last Saturday, a total of 217 medical teams with 25,633 medical workers had been sent to Hubei to help combat the COVID-19, while 90.15 billion yuan ($12.9 billion) had been allocated for virus prevention and control efforts nationwide. Through these arduous efforts, the epidemic is generally under control. There have been some positive developments in the contagion situation.

    Since February 1, cured cases began to outnumber deaths. As of 24:00 February 15, a total of 9419 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery. The oldest among the cured is 96 years old. He is from Zhejiang, the province with 1167 confirmed cases but not a single death of the disease. And the youngest cured? She is a 67-day-old baby in Guizhou province who was discharged from hospital last Saturday.
    Since February 3, newly reported confirmed cases are declining day by day outside Hubei, the province with Wuhan as its capital, from 890 cases that day to 731 cases (February 4), 707 cases (February 5), 696 cases (February 6), 558 cases (February 7), 509 cases (February 8), 444 cases (February 9), 381 cases (February 10), 377 cases (February 11), 312 cases (February 12), 267 cases (February 13), 221 cases (February 14), 166 cases (February 15).
    The figures show that the COVID-19 epidemic is indeed preventable, controllable and the disease curable. We need to put things in perspective so as to have an objective and accurate analysis of the situation.

    As of 24:00 February 15, the mortality rate of COVID-19 in the China’s mainland is 2.43% (1665 deaths out of 68500 confirmed cases), and the mortality rate in Chinese provinces and cities other than Wuhan is merely 1.49% (432 deaths out of 29038 confirmed cases), even lower than that of ordinary pneumonia. The mortality rate outside Hubei province is 0.56% (69 deaths out of 12251 confirmed cases).
    In contrast, the H1N1 flu of 2009 had a mortality rate of 17.4%, the mortality rate of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) of 2012 was 34.4%, the mortality rate of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) of 2013 was 10.91%, and the mortality rate of Ebola of 2014 was 40.4%. The mortality rate of the Lassa fever, as Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire said last week, had dropped to 15% from 30% a couple of years ago. 15%.
    And, according to a recent United States CDC estimation, from October 1, 2019, through February 1, 2020, in the US there had been 22-31 million flu illnesses, 10-15 million flu medical visits, 210-370 thousand flu hospitalizations, and at least 12-30 thousand flu deaths.

    The epicenter of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic is Wuhan, Hubei province. What happens in Wuhan or Hubei should be interpreted as it is. Stereotyping the story of Wuhan or Hubei and applying it to all China or the whole world cannot be more misleading.

    Take the confirmed cases. As of 24:00 February 15, a total of 68500 cases had been reported in the China’s mainland. Among them, 56249 cases were in Hubei (82.12%), 39462 cases were in Wuhan (57.61%, and 70.16% of the total cases in Hubei).

    And the number of provinces like Hubei in the Chinese mainland? 31. The number of city peers of Wuhan in Hubei province? 16. In Xizang (Tibet), now no COVID-19 cases at all. Only one patient had been confirmed and he walked out of hospital after full recovery on February 12. In recent days, there have been no new confirmed cases reported in several provinces. According to some top epidemiologists, the inflection point of the epidemic has already arrived, though vigilance is still strongly advised.

    As the Director-General of WHO Dr. Tedros stresses, “This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumors. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.” All the responses to the epidemic should be based on science instead of fear. It is understandable that some countries have taken necessary and appropriate prevention measures. But we disapprove of measures out of proportion. As WHO insists, there is no pandemic yet and there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade. WHO doesn’t recommend and actually oppose limiting trade and movement.
    Guided by the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China is fulfilling its responsibility for the life and health of its own people and for global public health. Containing the epidemic at the source is of essence. China’s effective response and sacrifice have averted the further spread of the virus in the world. The COVID-19 cases of infections worldwide is far less than 1% of the case count in China, while the H1N1 flu outbreak spread to 214 regions and countries.

    China will work more closely with the international community to contain the epidemic in a spirit of openness and transparency and safeguard global public health security. We encourage other countries to follow and act on WHO’s travel and health recommendations. China will continue to take good care of foreign nationals in China like its own. We will stay in close communication with Nigeria and provide updates on latest developments, protect the life and health of the Nigerian nationals in China, thereby safeguarding the health and safety of people in both countries.
    Foreign nationals are safe in China.

    According to the professional evaluation of WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros, the safest way for foreign nationals in Wuhan is to stay put and ensure effective self-protection. He has cautioned against hasty movement as it will add more uncertainties. Now confirmed cases have been detected among some foreign evacuees, which increase the risk of further spread. This is what has happened. We still suggest that countries to follow WHO recommendations and educate their nationals to ensure sound protection in accordance to local health regulations.
    The majority of the countries including Nigeria understand the opinion of the Chinese government. They have full confidence in and support China’s control efforts. China highly appreciates the deep trust.

    Under the leadership of President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people have withstood the test and won the respect and recognition of the international community with their efforts and even sacrifice. To date, leaders of over 160 countries and international organizations have expressed their sympathy and support through telegrams or letters. The government and peoples of several dozen countries are lending a helping hand. We are truly grateful for these acts of kindness.

    The Chinese are a resilient nation that has emerged stronger from numerous trials and tribulations. The bigger the difficulties and challenges China faces, the more cohesion and fighting spirit the Chinese nation demonstrates. With its people united as one under the leadership of the CPC, with China’s institutional strength in mobilizing resources for major undertakings, with strong material and technological capacities and with rich experience, China has the confidence, capacity and determination to not only win a full victory against the epidemic but also meet its economic and social development goals. The fundamentals of China’s long-term economic development remain unchanged and the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic is short-lived. China will surely prevail over this epidemic and emerge stronger and more prosperous.

    The health sector is an important area in China-Africa cooperation. China has sent medical teams of altogether 21,000 members to Africa and has treated 220 million African patients. They are deeply respected by local people as some Chinese doctors even sacrificed their lives in this cause.
    After the Ebola epidemic raged through Africa in March, 2014, certain countries closed their embassies and evacuated diplomats and citizens from three West African countries hit by the epidemic.

    By sharp contrast, the Chinese government helped Africa at the earliest time possible. China sent not only urgently needed supplies but also medical teams of over 1,000 military and civilian doctors to areas stricken most severely by the epidemic. Chinese diplomats and medical experts chose to stay there instead of withdrawing. They fought together with local people until the virus was defeated.

    Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, African countries and regional organizations have expressed valuable support through various means. Hardship reveals true friendship. This is a testament to great solidarity between China and Africa in trying times.

    The epidemic is temporary, but friendship and cooperation are forever.
    Recently, the Embassy has been inundated with heartwarming sympathies and good wishes from Nigerian friends. We highly appreciate that the government and good people of Nigeria firmly stand by us in this difficult time. We will always remember the sympathy and support given to us in this battle against the COVID-19.

    In the statement of solidarity on February 2, President Muhammadu Buhari thanks Nigerians “for their hospitality towards the Chinese nationals in our midst, and for not letting the coronavirus outbreak create any disturbance or disrupt the peaceful coexistence between us and them.”
    Indeed, we are brothers and sisters sharing weal and woe. Together we shall prevail.

    (Dr. Zhou Pingjian is Ambassador of China to Nigeria)

  • True Ethnic Origins of Nigeria’s Past Presidents and Heads of State

    True Ethnic Origins of Nigeria’s Past Presidents and Heads of State

    By Farooq A. Kperogi, Ph.D.
    Twitter: @farooqkperogi

    Nigeria’s education system robs Nigerians of basic knowledge about their country and its people. That’s why although ethnic identity is a central part of Nigeria’s national imagination, most Nigerians know awfully little about the ethnic identities of their rulers.

    In the absence of accurate, official information, most people have resorted to assumptions, guesswork, and outright falsehoods on the ethnic origins of their rulers—and on most things about the country, leading me to once characterize Nigeria as a “know-nothing nation” in my August 10, 2013 column.

    I have chosen to dedicate today’s column to providing accurate, verifiable information about the ethnic identities of Nigeria’s past presidents and heads of state.

    1. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Several people, particularly in the South, have assigned a Hausa, Fulani, or “Hausa-Fulani” ethnic identity to Nigeria’s first Prime Minister. But he was neither ethnically Hausa nor Fulani. Of course, if he was neither Hausa nor Fulani, he couldn’t conceivably be “Hausa-Fulani.”

    He came from a small ethnic minority group called the Gere, whom Hausa people call Bagere or Bageri (singular) and Gerawa (plural). Gere is not mutually intelligible with Hausa or Fulfulde. It’s a wholly separate ethnic group that traces distant roots from what is now Chad.

    As I pointed out in my January 23, 2016 column titled “Gere:Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa’s Real Ethnic Group,” a 1905 Journal of the Royal African Society article by a G. Merrick titled “Languages in Northern Nigeria” said the Gere are “closely related to the Bolewa [a minority language spoken mostly in Fika Emirate in Yobe State] and living to the west of them.”

    2. Thomas Aguiyi-Ironsi: There is no question that Aguiyi-Ironsi, who became Head of State after Tafawa Balewa’s assassination, was Igbo from Umuahia in what is now Abia State.

    3. Yakubu Gowon: Although he was raised in Wusasa near Zaria, which is home to Fulani Christians, his parents were Angas (also called Ngas) from what is now Plateau State. Angas is an Afro-Asiatic language like Hausa, but it is mutually unintelligible with Hausa.

    As I pointed out in my April 3, 2016 column titled “Nigerian Languages are More Closely Related Than You Think,” “Another surprising fact about Nigeria’s language family classification is that Hausa, the most prominent member of the Afro-Asiatic family in Nigeria, shares the same ancestor with the Angas of Plateau State. In fact, just like Hausa, Angas belongs to the Chadic subfamily of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Yet two ethnic groups couldn’t be more culturally different than the Hausa and the Angas.”

    4. Murtala Mohammed: Murtala Mohammed’s paternal identity is the subject of elaborate, long-standing speculations. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who is now Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, once wrote that Murtala Mohammed was Fulani. A few other people from Kano say the same thing. But several other people say it was only Murtala’s mother that was Fulani from Kano.

    His paternal identity is shrouded in controversy. But the most credible clue to his paternal identity, in my opinion, is the assertion that his father was from northern Edo State. A man by the name of Austin Braimoh, who says he is Murtala’s paternal first cousin, wrote in a February 19, 2016 Vanguard article titled “Remembering Murtala Mohammed” that Murtala’s father’s name was Dako Mohammed and that he migrated to Kano from the village of Igbe in the Auchi area of Edo State after briefly living in Lagos.

    “It is well documented that General Murtala Mohammed made efforts to reach out to his paternal relations before his demise,” he wrote. “Two months into his tenure as Head of State, he was at Auchi to confer with the Otaru of Auchi Alhaji Guruza Momoh. He invited him to join him to that year’s Hajj in Mecca. On his way out of Auchi, he directed that a mosque be erected at Aviele, near Auchi in a predominantly Muslim settlement. The mosque was completed after his death and named after him.”

    Given the number of people with “Auchi” ancestry who rose to prominence in the Kano society, including the legendary Isyaku Rabiu, this claim isn’t far-fetched.

    5. Olusegun Obasanjo: Obasanjo’s Owu ethnicity is well-known. There is nothing to add or take away from it. Of course, the Owu are a subgroup of the Yoruba ethnic group.

    6. Shehu Shagari: Shehu Shagari’s Fulani ethnicity is also well-known. Although he also spoke Hausa, he self-identified as Fulani. His great-grandfather founded the town whose name he adopted as his last name.

    7. Muhammadu Buhari: Apart from being phenotypically Fulani like Shagari, Buhari also never missed an opportunity to proclaim his Fulani ethnic identity. In fact, at 18, when he applied to enlist in the Nigerian military, he gratuitously mentioned his ethnicity. “I have the honour to apply for regular service in the Royal Nigerian Army,” he wrote on October 18, 1961. “My name is Muhammadu Buhari and I am a Fulani.”

    8. Ibrahim Babangida: IBB’s ethnic identity is surprisingly a magnet for controversy and speculations. He has been called Gbagyi (whom Hausa people call Gwari), Nupe, and even Yoruba from Ogbomoso or Osogbo. But he told journalists and his biographers at different times that his immediate ancestors were Hausas from Kano who migrated to what is now Niger State.

    I’d rather go with his self-definition of his ethnic identity than the evidence-free claims of others.

    9. Abdulsalami Abubakar: Because Minna, where Abubakar was born, was founded by the Gbagyi, people have also assumed that he is Gbagyi. But he told a biographer that he was born to Hausa parents. Since Hausas are not native to Minna, it must mean that, like IBB, his immediate ancestors came to Minna from Nigeria’s northwest.

    10. Umaru Musa Yar’adua: Yar’adua has been erroneously called “Fulani” because of his phenotypic features, but his immediate paternal ancestors are actually Tuaregs, possibly from Mauritania. The Tuaregs are a branch of the Berber cluster in North Africa. Many Tuaregs (whom Hausa people call Buzu) in northern Nigeria tend to be mistaken for Fulani because of the similarities in their physical features. I got to know that the Yar’Adua family are Tuaregs when I lived in Katsina town in the late 1990s.

    Another prominent Tuareg family in northern Nigeria that people mistake for Fulani is the Baba-Ahmed family in Kaduna State.

    11. Goodluck Jonathan: Jonathan is often mistaken for an Ijaw, but he is not. He is from a small ethnic group called the Ogbia (or Ogbinya), which is linguistically and ethnically unrelated to Ijaw. As of 2006, according to records, the Ogbia were a little over 266,000.

    As I pointed out in my August 3, 2013 column titled “What’s REALLY President Goodluck Jonathan’s Ethnic Group?” while Ijaw belongs to the Atlantic-Congo branch of the Niger-Congo language family, Ogbia belongs to the Central Delta subphyla, but historians say the ancestors of the Ogbia people most likely migrated to their present location from present-day Edo State. Ogbia has its own dialects, which are all mutually intelligible, according to Ethnologue. They are Agholo (or Kolo), Oloibiri, and Anyama.

    Concluding Thoughts
    A distribution of the paternal ethnic identities of Nigeria’s presidents and heads of state shows that the Hausa and the Fulani each had two, and Yoruba, Igbo, Angas, Ogbia, Tuareg, and Etsako (or Afenmai) each had one.

    Of course, that’s simplistic. Identity in northern Nigeria is more complex than that. Religion is a more important marker of identity than ethnicity is. For instance, although Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was Gere, he was culturally Hausa and was indistinguishable from a Hausa or Fulani Muslim.

    Nonetheless, in the interest of historical accuracy, it doesn’t hurt to be familiar with the facts about the ethnic identities of Nigeria’s past and present presidents and heads of states.

  • NCP: It’s Time for Facts, Science and Solidarity

    NCP: It’s Time for Facts, Science and Solidarity

    Zhou Pingjian

    China is currently fighting an all-out people’s war against the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak. The virus is unprecedented, so are the measures China has taken.

    The safety and health of the people always comes first, and thus the prevention and control of the outbreak is the country’s top priority for now. The Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee has convened two meetings for redeployment and remobilization on January 25 and February 3 respectively. President Xi Jinping has made it very clear that the CPC Central Committee always places people’s life, security and health above anything else. The Central Leading Group on responding to the outbreak has convened five meetings on epidemic control efforts. The group has traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the NCP outbreak, to direct the efforts on the ground. The State Council’s inter-agency prevention and control task force has redoubled its efforts to make sure that all urgent issues are resolved in a most timely manner.

    On February 8, the 1500-bed Leishenshan Hospital was put into use. Earlier, the 1000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital went into full operation on February 3. Both of the makeshift hospitals were built in less than 10 days. More than 11000 doctors and nurses across the country arrived in Wuhan within a few days and are now fighting on the epicenter of the epidemic day and night. We are racing against time to save lives.

    Our efforts are producing results. Since February 1, cured NCP cases began to outnumber deaths. As of 24:00 p.m. February 8, a total of 2649 persons had been discharged from hospital after recovery, unfortunately 811 persons had died of the disease. Since February 3, newly reported confirmed cases are declining day by day outside Hubei, the province with Wuhan as its capital, from 890 cases that day to 731 cases (February 4), 707 cases (February 5), 696 cases (February 6), 558 cases (February 7), 509 cases (February 8). The figures above are important signs that the epidemic is preventable, controllable and curable.

    As President Xi assures the world, being good at mobilizing resources and equipped with rich experience in handling public health emergencies, China has the confidence and capability to win the battle. The robust measures are taken not only for the health of China’s own people but also as a great contribution to global public safety.
    Acting with openness, transparency and a high sense of responsibility, the Chinese government has been sharing information in a timely manner, enhancing international cooperation, putting in place a nation-wide scheme, pooling national resources and taking the most strict and thorough measures to fight the outbreak. The National Health Commission and the Wuhan health authorities hold daily briefings to keep the public updated. China’s openness, transparency and high sense of responsibility, and its decisive and effective measures have been recognized by the international community. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), affirms on many occasions that China has in fact taken more measures to contain the outbreak that it is required to do in case of an emergency, and China is setting a new standard for outbreak response for other countries.

    Regrettably, we have noted some rumors and lies on the NCP epidemic. Virus is horrible. What’s more horrible is rumors and panic. As WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros has repeatedly called on people not to believe in rumors or spread them, “This is the time for facts, not fear. This is the time for science, not rumors. This is the time for solidarity, not stigma.” In some countries including Nigeria, relevant departments have been stepping up efforts to bring to justice those creating and spreading rumors about the epidemic. On February 1, five Abuja residents who had faked coronavirus infection were swiftly arrested by the FCT police for their gratuitous prank .
    Every life is precious. One NCP case is too many. However, we still need to put things in perspective and have a objective and accurate analysis of the situation. All the responses to the epidemic should be based on science instead of fear.

    I wish to stress that, as of February 8, the mortality rate of the NCP is 2.18% (811 deaths out of 37198 confirmed cases), and the mortality rate in Chinese provinces and cities other than Wuhan is merely 0.91% (203 deaths out of 22210 confirmed cases), even lower than that of ordinary pneumonia. The mortality rate outside Hubei is 0.31% (31 deaths out of 10098 confirmed cases). In contrast, the H1N1 flu of 2009 in the US had a mortality rate of 17.4%, the mortality rate of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) of 2012 was 34.4% and Ebola of 2014 in West Africa 40.4%. In fact, according to a recent CDC report, the US flu from 2019 to 2020 has caused 19 million infection cases and at least 10,000 deaths. There are 200 or so NCP cases of infections worldwide, far less than 1% of the case count in China, while the H1N1 outbreak in the US spread to 214 regions and countries.
    It is understandable that some countries have taken necessary and appropriate prevention measures. But we disapprove of measures out of proportion. As WHO insists, there is no pandemic yet and there is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade. WHO doesn’t recommend and actually oppose limiting trade and movement.
    After the epidemic outbreak, the Chinese government attaches high importance to the life and health of all people in China, Chinese and foreign nationals alike. We have taken the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures against the NCP, many of which have far exceeded what WHO and International Health Regulations required. Currently the security, health and living standards of foreign nationals in China is guaranteed. We hope all countries can assess the epidemic situation and China’s efforts in a calm, objective and rational manner and do not overreact.

    Foreign nationals are safe in China. According to the professional evaluation of WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros, the safest way for foreign nationals in Wuhan is to stay put and ensure effective self-protection. He has cautioned against hasty movement as it will add more uncertainties. Now confirmed cases have been detected among some foreign evacuees, which increase the risk of further spread. This is what has happened. We still suggest that countries to follow WHO recommendations and educate their nationals to ensure sound protection in accordance with local health regulations. The majority of the countries including Nigeria understand the opinion of the Chinese government. They have full confidence in and support China’s control efforts.
    February 10 this year marks the 49th anniversary of China-Nigeria diplomatic relations. Since 1971, the all-dimensional, wide-ranging and high-quality bilateral cooperation has been a pacesetter in China-Africa cooperation. Particularly in recent years, under the strategic guidance and personal attention of President Xi and President Buhari, the brotherly relationship between China and Nigeria has reached new heights unmatched in history, bringing tangible benefits to our two countries and peoples. China always appreciates Nigeria’s invaluable support wherever China’s interest is concerned.

    A friend in need is a friend indeed. Recently, the Embassy has been inundated with heartwarming sympathies and good wishes from Nigerian brothers and sisters. We highly appreciate that the government and good people of Nigeria firmly stand by us in this difficult time. As President Muhammadu Buhari noted in his statement of solidarity on February 2, “China’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus have been exemplary, as well as the country’s collaboration with international agencies and other countries on the matter”, “With all the efforts being put in, we know that it is only a matter of time before this nightmare passes.” Together, we shall prevail.

    The NCP epidemic comes and will go. The outbreak is just temporary, but friendship and cooperation are forever. China will always remember the sympathy and support given to us in this battle against the virus.

    (Dr. ZHOU Pingjian is Ambassador of China to Nigeria)

  • China confident to win decisive victory in fight against epidemic

    China confident to win decisive victory in fight against epidemic

    By Peng Fei, People’s Daily

    China has made greater and concerted efforts to prevent and control the novel coronavirus epidemic, boosting confidence to win a decisive victory in the fight against the virus outbreak.

    The prevention and control work is still the most important task as the country faces complicated and serious situation.

    Since the outbreak, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has exercised leadership and coordinated work in all aspects, while the Party committees and governments at all levels have resolutely implemented instructions.

    Meanwhile, the leading cadres, Party members and medical staff have worked hard on the front line of the battle against the epidemic. And people from all sectors have donated money and goods to fight the virus.

    Attaching great importance to the prevention and control work, Chinese President Xi Jinping made important instructions upon the outbreak. He stressed that China must put people’s safety and health as the top priority, implement a comprehensive prevention and control network and strengthen mass prevention and treatment. He also spoke of the need for the timely release of information and the deepening of international cooperation.

    Xi’s important speeches and instructions have charted the course for comprehensively enhancing the epidemic prevention and control work.

    As a Chinese proverb goes, all sides come to help when one is struck by disaster. Currently, 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China have activated first-level public health emergency response, drafted and implemented prevention and control measures among communities, and launched networked management.

    Medical teams and staff across the country have rushed to Wuhan to help fight virus without hesitation. The country has mobilized the general public among communities, popularized knowledge of epidemic prevention and control, and cancelled mass gatherings.

    The institutional strength of China’s socialist system which can bring together the resources necessary to take on great tasks is the key to win the battle against the epidemic.

    Just as what World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, the high speed and massive scale of China’s moves are rarely seen in the world. Many of the prevention and containment measures China has taken far exceed relevant requirements for dealing with emergencies, and the measures China has taken are good not only for that country but also for the rest of the world, he added.

    By adhering to a national perspective, China strives to seize the initiative in epidemic prevention and control, which is a systematic project.

    First, the CPC Central Committee has exercised unified command while local governments and departments have implemented relevant instructions. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak made overall planning and coordination.

    In general, all provinces have established a leadership system headed by principal leaders of Party committees and governments, as well as a joint prevention and control mechanism featuring participation by multiple departments.

    The strengths of all fronts are complementary. A national research team of experts was set up immediately to focus on research on treatment of severe cases, research and development of vaccines and other aspects.

    Healthcare security and financial departments have implemented the subsidy policies to ensure that patients’ treatment would not be affected due to medical costs. And transport departments have enhanced management to cut off the transmission channels and ensure that passengers can cancel their tickets and get refunds for free.

    Local governments and relevant departments have ensured that policies and decisions are strictly carried out in a coordinated manner, generating strong synergy in epidemic prevention and control.

    It is a battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic that affects lives and health of hundreds of millions of people. It is also a battle China must win.

    To secure a victory, all walks of life and various sectors are taking actions. Medical staff have written letters of petition to support Hubei province, Party members and cadres have been on the frontline of the fight against the virus day and night, workers have worked overtime to make medical supplies, and ordinary citizens have avoided going outside and developed good health habits.

    These efforts unleash huge energy like small streams converging into the ocean. As long as we focus our thoughts and efforts towards the same goal, we can forge the iron great wall to contain the virus outbreak and safeguard our health and homeland.

    No mountain is unclimbable and no difficulty is insurmountable as long as we work together as one.

    China has the confidence and ability to win the battle against the epidemic as it has mastered more advanced medical technologies, established a more mature emergency response mechanism, and accumulated richer experience in epidemic prevention and control.

  • Not a good time to be Chinese!

    Not a good time to be Chinese!

    By Dr. Austin Maho

     

    “Hundreds of Chinese left Nigeria for China to celebrate their annual festival –Lunar New Year– to return next week. At the moment over 300,000 Chinese are already infected with coronavirus. FG should take serious precautions and preventive actions before we have an epidemic in Nigeria. Coronavirus in Nigeria will be a giant catastrophe.Please circulate this until someone high in authority hears about it”

     

    The above message have been trending on the Nigerian social media space for quite a while and is designed to create panic and profile Chinese nationals living in Nigeria especially those returning to the country from China after the celebration of the Lunar New Year as carriers of the coronavirus.

     

    It is a season of China bashing and a wrong time to be Chinese! Chinese citizens are coming under intense scrutiny over the outbreak of the coronavirus.

     

    To be Chinese, is to be a virus! 

     

    The obviously misleading information is that a whopping 300,000 Chinese have been infected with the coronavirus; nothing can be further from the truth. As at the time of writing this article the figure is about 20,000 with less than 500 deaths globally. Saying over 300,000 have the virus is designed to alarm the unsuspecting, create panic and lead to racial profiling of anything and everything Chinese!

     

    Old myths and misconceptions about China and the Chinese have become the topic of the day and often by people you expect should know better. 

     

    Even a government agency was recently sucked into this bandwagon by undertaking an ill-advised raid on an Abuja based supermarket for selling frozen foods it allegedly said were imported from China.

     

    It is curious that a major government agency would choose this particular point in time to carry out such a raid and the reason given. Such raids only serves to fuel speculations over the coronavirus and deepens confusion over the mode of transmission.

     

    It is disturbing when you take into cognisance the statement attributed to the helmsman of the agency in question who was quoted by the media as justifying the raids on grounds that it was a precautionary step to address the “coronavirus scare”. 

     

    Note that this agency is not the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)!

    The NCDC by the way are the experts when it comes to public health issues and have been issuing public statements and advisory since the outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria and coronavirus in China without drama or instigating public panic over “frozen sea food imported from China”.

     

    The truth is that frozen sea food whether from China or anywhere else has not been associated with the coronavirus.

     

    The Chinese for a long time have been known to have a very lavish and generous appetite that includes all sorts of sea foods that are not common in these parts of the world. These seafood includes turtles, frogs, exotic marine creatures and other varieties. This has never been a crime.

     

    Some Nigerian cultures are also known to have very generous appetite for anything that comes out of the bush in the name of “bush meat”. I am sure many foreigners are squeamish about our love for bush meat. During the last “Ebola” outbreak some conspiracy theorist even said you can contract Ebola from eating bush meat especially monkeys 

     

    What the agency in question did and the full media attention it generated amounts to an attempt to link sea food and the Chinese to the coronavirus. This is racial profiling and biased conduct that should be condemned by all means.

     

    This however is not to underplay the severity of the coronavirus which has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation, (WHO). Irrespective of the WHO declaration the same body has acknowledged its confidence in the ability of the Chinese government to handle and contain the outbreak. 

     

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference that he was confident in China’s capacity to control the outbreak, which has sickened so many people and led to the death of several others mostly in China’s Hubei province, which surrounds Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak.

     

    “Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed the emergence of a previously unknown pathogen, which has escalated into an unprecedented outbreak and which has been met by an unprecedented response”.

     

    He also praised the Chinese government.  “The Chinese’s government is to be congratulated for the extraordinary measures it has taken to contain the outbreak, despite the severe social and economic impact those measures are having on the Chinese’s people. We would have seen many more cases outside China by now, and probably deaths, were it not for the government’s efforts and the progress they have made to protect their own people and the people of the world”.

     

    He also commended the speed with which China detected the outbreak, isolated the virus, sequenced the genome, and shared it with WHO.

     

    “This is very impressive and beyond words. So is China’s commitment to transparency and to supporting other countries. In many ways, China is actually setting new standards for outbreak response, and it’s not an exaggeration”.

     

    Dr. Tedros also noted that the declaration was not a vote of no confidence on China but a vote of China’s ability to manage the crisis.

     

    “Let me be clear. This declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China, I have never in my life seen this kind of mobilization.” The Chinese government working round the clock, mobilising men and resources to control the spread of the disease. 

     

    To demonstrate its preparedness to deal with the scourge at the highest levels, the Chinese government handed over responsibility for the deadly coronavirus outbreak to the Communist Party’s No. 2 leader, Premier Li Keqiang.  Keqiang has already hit the ground running, with massive deployment of assets and the construction of new health facilities in record time to control and contain the coronavirus outbreak.

     

    China has successfully completed building 2 emergency hospitals in Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly Coronavirus. Within 10 days, the two hospitals have been made ready to admit patients. The Huosheshan Hospital was thrown open earlier this month.

     

    The virus itself is not a death sentence much as the number of deaths and infected are of concern, perhaps people should also be aware that more people have been treated of the infection and have become well. As at the time of writing this piece, less than 400 people have died of the coronavirus while over 500 people have been treated and fully recovered from the disease. Moreover, irrespective of the large number of infected individuals the WHO estimates that the fatality rate of the coronavirus is a little over 2%.

     

     

    While some people ignorantly, jeer at the Chinese over the coronavirus we should remember that malaria still remains endemic in Nigeria and is still the biggest killer in the country. An estimated 100 million malaria cases with over 300,000 deaths are reported yearly in Nigeria. Malaria contributes to an estimated 11% of maternal mortality. This same malaria that’s ravaging the country has been significantly eradicated in several African countries while it remains endemic in Nigeria, with no government policy in place to eradicate the disease whatsoever.

     

    Similarly we should also not lose sight of the recurring cases of Lassa fever, a haemorrhagic fever similar to the coronavirus. Lassa fever as at last count has killed many Nigerians including  health workers with several others affected.

     

    These are health emergencies that are on our door steps that should dominate public discuss. As for the coronavirus no case has been reported in Nigeria and we hope that our public health officials put measures in place to make sure it remains so.

     

    There is no need at this point to spread fear, or result to racial profiling, the global response to the outbreak would certainly contain and control the disease. The world has faced health emergencies in recent times and like SARS, H1N1, ZIKA, EBOLA, MERS, the coronavirus would eventually succumb to the power of modern medicine. 

     

    And as President Muhammadu Buhari said in his sympathy message to China, it is only a matter of time “before this nightmare passes”.  Nigeria should stand by China as China has always stood by us and other developing countries of the world in times of crisis.