By Akanimo Sampson
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says 30 cases of the coronavirus pandemic have now been confirmed in the country.
This is coming as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) says due to the complexity of the pandemic, flexible resources at the global level will be essential to responding to priority countries and where needs are greatest.
Already, the indicative funding requirement supporting UNFPA’s planned interventions stands at $67,500,000 for two months (March and April).
Given the fact that coronavirus is a rapidly-evolving outbreak, the funding requirements, according to UNFPA, are provisional and will be revised as needed, including in light of procurement challenges and availability.
The rampaging coronavirus was designated a “public health emergency of international concern” on January 30, 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
On March 11, WHO declared the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) a pandemic.
By March 22, more than 205,000 COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in 166 countries and territories, with more than 11,648 deaths reported and cases continued to rise at a rapid pace.
The unprecedented consequences of this pandemic and the restrictive measures imposed by most countries have negatively impacted access to lifesaving sexual and reproductive health services and response to gender-based violence in times where women and girls need these services most.
UNFPA is working to support governments and partners to prioritise the particular needs of women and girls of reproductive age, in line with the UNFPA transformative results to end unmet need for family planning, end preventable maternal deaths, and end gender-based violence and harmful practices by 2030.
The UN agency says it is prioritising countries that have weak public health and social support systems. This includes countries in fragile and humanitarian situations.
UNFPA efforts focus on strengthening health system capacity, procuring and delivering essential supplies, ensuring access to sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, promoting risk communication and community engagement, and contributing to the joint UN impact assessment.
UNFPA is further engaging and supporting partners (national governments, UN agencies, and NGOs), including through the WHO Strategic Response and Preparedness Plan, UN OCHA’s Global Appeal, and at the regional and country levels through UN country teams and newly formed coordination structures.
However, in an update posted on its website, the Centre said Abuja, which had one case in the morning of Sunday, now have four cases.
It says Ekiti State has one, while Lagos has recorded 22 cases.
One case was also confirmed in Oyo State on Sunday morning of a United Kingdom returnee who had been in self-isolation in Bodija area of Ibadan.
“Three new cases of COVID19 have been confirmed in Lagos. There are two cases of returning travelers, and one case of a person in contact with a confirmed case.
“As of 05:28 p.m on March 22, there are 30 confirmed cases of COVID19 in Nigeria. Two have been discharged with no deaths,” NCDC says.
