Nigeria: Health Minister Debunks Outbreak of Ebola Virus in Nigeria, Says Is Dengue Fever

http://www.health.gov.ng/index.php/news-media/recent-news/9-uncategorised/162-health-minister-debunks-outbreak-of-ebola-virus-in-nigeria-says-is-dengue-fever

Federal Ministry of Health

Health Minister Debunks Outbreak of Ebola Virus in Nigeria, Says Is Dengue Fever

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan has denied a report in section of the media on the outbreak of Ebola disease in Nigeria.

The Minister made the clarification in Abuja today when he briefed the Press on the purported rumour of the ebola virus in Nigeria.

He said as a follow up to the report in a section of the media on the outbreak of Ebola disease in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Health wishes to inform the general public that laboratory investigation has revealed that it is a case of Dengue Heamorrhagic Fever and not that of Ebola virus as erroneously reported.

He said that the outbreak of the ebola disease was recorded in Guinea which has so far claimed 80 lives adding that the disease  has spread to Sierra Leone and Liberia which they share border with Guinea. He stated categorically that there is no recorded case of Ebola Virus in Nigeria.

He explained that Dengue Heamorrhagic Fever (DHF) is an acute illness of sudden onset that usually follows a benign course with symptoms such as headache, fever, exhaustion, severe muscle and joint pain, swollen lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy), and rashes. At onset of the disease, it mimics Malaria and, often so, it is mistakenly diagnosed as Malaria. However, other signs of Dengue fever which include bleeding gums, bloody diarrhoea, bleeding from the nose and severe pain behind the eyes, red palms and soles differentiate it from Malaria Laboratory tests are usually necessary for its confirmation.

Dr.Alhassan said that prevention of transmission of Dengue Heamrrhagic Fever is similar to the prevention of Malaria. It is therefore very important to give environmental sanitation and mosquito bites control a high priority to reduce mosquito-human contact and also to eliminate multiplication of mosquitoes that are the vectors of the Dengue fever virus.

He reaffirmed that the Laboratories at the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) have the capacity to confirm the Dengue Heamorrhagic Fever and other Viral Hemorrhagic fevers adding that the Federal Ministry of Health has intensified surveillance activities on this disease and all States Ministries of Health are alerted.

He stressed that any suspected case should be reported to the nearest health facility including General Hospitals, Federal Medical Centres (FMCs) or Teaching Hospitals where non-specific and symptomatic drugs against this disease have been prepositioned.

He announced that all Nigerian Port Health posts and border medical centres have been put on high alert to screen travellers from countries with confirmed Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever occurrences pointing out that Nigerian citizens travelling to these countries are advised to be careful and should report any illnesses with the above stated symptoms to the nearest health facility.

He said that the Federal Ministry of Health is in the process of enhancing multi-sectoral collaboration with the Livestock Department of Federal Ministry of Agriculture, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), World Health Organisation (WHO), US Centre Disease Control (CDC), etc.

Nov 12-16, 2014. Bermuda's City Of Hamilton To Host The 40th Annual Conference Of Black Mayors

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/30/bermuda-corp-hamilton-idUSnPn6WF6XB+9b+PRN20140630

Bermuda's City Of Hamilton To Host The 40th Annual Conference Of Black Mayors

Mon Jun 30, 2014 8:00am EDT

* Reuters is not responsible for the content in this press release.

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Bermuda's City Of Hamilton To Host The 40th Annual Conference Of Black Mayors

Event will convene the largest gathering of Black Mayors and elected officials from around the world

PR Newswire

HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 30, 2014

HAMILTON, Bermuda, June 30, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Bermuda's Corporation of Hamilton has announced it will host the 40th annual Conference of Black Mayors Convention later this year.  The event, which will take place on November 12 - 16, 2014, at The Fairmont Southampton, will convene the largest gathering of Mayors and local officials from around the world.  Mayors from cities, towns and villages from all over the U.S. will be joined by high level officials from China, Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In making the announcement, the Chairman of the local Organizing Committee, the City of Hamilton's Deputy Mayor Donal Smith, said the Conference of Black Mayors had grown from modest beginnings into an event of considerable political and economic importance that now includes more than 2,000 African/American Mayors and municipal staff and has attracted the participation of politicians, business and financial leaders not only from the U.S. but increasingly from around the world.

"Today the CBM also includes 39,000 political leaders and elected officials of color from around the world.  Currently we estimate that the City of Hamilton, Bermuda, will be greeting 400 - 500 plus delegates from as far away as Brazil, Colombia, China, Ghana,Cote D'Ivoire, Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, Jamaica and the Caribbean Islandsand we should note that the aim of this great gathering has always been to improve the quality of life in the cities, townships and villages these Mayors and these officials represent."  

The Mayor of Hamilton, The Rt. Worshipful Graeme Outerbridge, JP, said, the CBM represents one of the most influential political and financial groups in the U.S. and in many other countries around the world.  "They represent a powerful voting block in the U.S. and beyond and preside over millions of dollars of municipal funds and new development.  As such, they represent enormous opportunities for our  international business sector to pursue.  We are delighted that the CBM has chosen to come to Bermuda."

Mr. Smith noted that many U.S. politicians and their advisors who are already looking ahead to the 2016 elections will doubtless be planning to attend the Convention."  We shall, as well, be inviting business leaders from the U.S., Europe and beyond to join us as featured speakers," he said.

"This year's convention theme will be '40 FORWARD' and we shall be looking ahead to determine what the future holds for the U.S. and world economies.  A very full program will include panel discussions on important global issues including immigration, education, healthcare and the ways in which the spread of information technology will affect global trade and urban growth in the coming years," he said.

What:	The Convention of Black Mayors 40th Annual Convention
Who:	CBM, the international association representing 39,000 black elected and appointed mayors and local officials from throughout the African diaspora.
When:	November 12-16, 2014
Where:	The Fairmont Southhampton
	101 South Shore Rd
	Southhampton, Bermuda SN02

For information about the conference, registration and sponsorship opportunities, contact:

Vanessa Williams
National Conference of Black Mayors
T: (404) 931-2059 C: (404) 964-9201
e-mail: vwilliams@ncbm.org

Danilee Trott
Corporation of Hamilton
T: (441) 292: 1234 Ext. 219  C: (441) 300-1335
e-mail: dtrott@cityhall.bm

Media:

Victor Webb
Marston Webb International
T: (212) 684-6601  C: (917) 887-0418
e-mail: marwebint@cs.com

SOURCE Corporation of Hamilton