Federal Government Requests Ebola Drug From US Centre

The Nigerian Federal Government has requested an experimental Ebola drug, Zmapp, from the United States Centre for Disease Control. More than 900 people have already died in Africa from the deadly virus, World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed. Meanwhile, in Nigeria two people have lost their lives and 5 others got infected, with the figure expected to rise rapidly. Amid fears of virus spread the US developed Ebola drug, which is still unapproved and needs safety trial, however it is believed to have saved two lives by now. Thus the Nigerian authorities turned to the US for help. After the yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the Minister of Information Labaran Maku and the Minister of Health Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu said they were awaiting response to their request from the center, Channels TV reports. Prof Chukwu also stressed the fact that Ebola had become a matter of national emergency adding that those who contacted with the index Ebola victim were found and isolated. It would be recalled that a US-citizen Patrick Sawyer travelling from Liberia, the epidemic center, to Nigeria died in Lagos on July 25, becoming the first Ebola victim in the territory of Nigeria. Yesterday the health minister confirmed death of the first Nigerian affected by the virus, it was a nurse who attended Sawyer. The ongoing emergency meeting was convened by WHO to decide on the further steps of dealing with the EVD.