Recently, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC,  confirmed the existence of the B.1.671 variant of the COVID-19 virus (first detected in India) in Nigeria.The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, gives insight into the development and other related aspects of the  National response to the pandemic. Exerpts:

New variant

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC,  has been working very hard with its partners to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on Nigerians. It is unfair to label the new variant “Indian variant”  because it was detected first in that country.

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has given conditional approval for use of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine in Nigeria.

The conditional emergency use authorization of the vaccine, according to the agency’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, Tuesday, came after a thorough evaluation of the product. Adeyeye said after the evaluation, NAFDAC Vaccine Committee concluded that the data on the vaccine were robust and met the required standard for use in the country.

The maternal mortality rate in Nigeria is 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, and according to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 61 percent of live births do not take place in a health facility. About 20% of global maternal deaths occur in Nigeria and more women especially those aged 15–19 die from pregnancy-related complications.

Between 2005 and 2015, it is estimated that over 600,000 maternal deaths and no less than 900,000 maternal near-miss cases occurred in the country. Most maternal deaths are preventable, as the healthcare solutions to prevent or manage complications are well known. All women need access to high-quality care in pregnancy, during, and after childbirth.