Over six million people have lost their lives to the Covid-19 pandemic globally, the Director-General of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Ifedayo Adetifa has disclosed.
Dr Adetifa has therefore advocated for more research on Covid-19 vaccines, noting that new findings by scientists will stem the tide of the virus.
He said this while delivering the First Public Lecture organised by the College of Basic Health Sciences COBHS of Achievers University, Owo in Ondo State.
The lecture was entitled “the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on Nigeria Healthcare delivery system and the roles NCDC.
”In an incisive analysis on the outbreak of diseases in the country, Ifedayo stated that “2014 was Ebola, 2016 Polo reemergence 2017 was Meningitis & monkeypox, while in 2019 Lassa fever outbreak, 2020 COVID-19 was experienced globally and in 2021 cholera became a major pandemic in Nigeria.”
“COVID-19 as at 12th March 2022 it was recorded that 254,894 confirmed cases, 3,142 death in the 36+1 states. Over six million lives were lost globally.
Adetifa noted that the surest way to stave-off Covid-19 and its new variants currently bedevilling some part of the world is to scientifically x-ray the situation and come up with a vaccine.
He explained that NCDC played a vital role during the outbreak of the novel virus in March 2020 and that the Federal government spent a large amount of money to frontally tackle the pandemic just to safeguard citizens and non-citizens.
Given the estimated money been allocated for a pandemic, the NCDC Boss said, “By 2025, USD 28 trillion estimated cost to the global economy, destroyed the livelihood of millions, fractured societies and broken essence of normal life.
“Federal Government in collaboration with the States had devoted large chunks of their time and resources to inhibit the virus, this is even as the life expectancy is at 54% as at the year 2019”.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor of the Institution, Dr Bode Ayorinde, highlighted management’s efforts to curtail the pandemic noting that all necessary precautionary measures were adhered to in a bid to abrogate the pandemic in the university.
The institution Vice-Chancellor, Prof Samuel Aje commended the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control for their enlightenment on the pandemic when it was ravaging the country.