THE West African Post-graduate College of Pharmacists,WAPCP, organised a symposium to canvass for precautionary measures on Ebola, in order to prevent the continuous spread of Ebola disease.
The symposium themed Ebola virus disease: the facts and fiction about hand sanitizers, held at Lagos Presbyterian Church, Lecture Hall, Yaba, Lagos to mark the World Pharmacists Day and to showcase what pharmacists do in order to improve health in every corner of the world.
In his opening remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Professor Fola Tayo thanked God for such a day in the lives of pharmacists globally. He also tasked pharmacists to combine forces to do something against Ebola.
According to him “pharmacists are the access to the windows of the world. We (pharmacists) should learn what to do, know what to do and empower others in the society in order to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
The Secretary-General of WAPCP, Prof. Wilson Erhun in his keynote address said: “In the last few weeks; WAPCP has been aggressively involved in promoting activities that would check the spread of Ebola. This includes collaboration with the Association of Community Pharmacists in Nigeria at different levels in organising seminars in Lagos, Jos and Port Harcourt.”
Speaking on the issue of school resumption, Prof. Erhun told journalists that “caution is the issue. Like you have found that the issue of Ebola virus spread has to do with hygiene and when we take up proper hygiene, of course, we won’t have to be afraid. Ebola is deadly but it is clearly preventable and personal hygiene is the key. So if the facilities needed to maintain adequate hygiene are in place, I think it’s just as well that kids should resume.
Prof. Boladele Silva in his lecture on Hand sanitizers: facts and fiction, revealed that “hand sanitizer is the most important way of minimizing and preventing disease from spreading.” He also noted that hands carry the most number of diseases, adding that 80 per cent of infectious diseases are transmitted by touch.
In his words: “Regular use of hand sanitizers could save lives than medical intervention.”
He also revealed that hand sanitizers that come in form of foam, gel, spray and wipes are effective in killing germs, adding that the most effective hand sanitizers are those with 60 per cent alcohol content.
In his lecture on Washing with water and soap: facts and fiction, Dr. Timothy Fajemirokun urged the general public to frequently wash their hands with water and soap.
In his words “without vaccine, hand washing is the single most important thing anyone can do to prevent catching diseases.
He also said as quoted Center for Disease Control that “30 to 60 seconds should be used to wash the hands with soap and water regularly. Also, he gave procedure on how the hands can be effectively washed. He said “the hands should be wet with water, scrub with soap for 15 to 20 seconds and then rinse with water.” He advised that hot water should be avoided in washing the hands.
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