Coronavirus: To secure IDP camps, Zulum summons UN agencies, stakeholders; Meeting adopts Borno’s emergency response plan

To prevent spread of Coronavirus with potential for wild-fire effect at internally displaced persons’ camps, Borno Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum has convened a multi-stakeholder meeting in Maiduguri which adopted an emergency response plan.

The meeting, which held Thursday, in Maiduguri, was attended by senior officials of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, UN-OCHA, international non governmental Organizations (iNGOs) involved in humanitarian interventions, the Maiduguri International Airport, the Nigerian Immigration Service, Borno State Emergency Management Agency and the state’s ministries of health, education, transport and local government and emirate affairs.

The Governor’s chief of staff, Dr Babagana Wakil, chaired the meeting which lasted three hours at the government house in Maiduguri after which the response plan adopted was to be presented to Governor Zulum by the end of the day.

Special Adviser on Public Relations and Strategy, Malam Isa Gusau, said Borno’s commissioner of health, Dr Salisu Kwayabura, during the meeting, presented a detailed medical response plan prepared by his ministry in collaboration with agencies of the UN that specialize in public health management.

The response plan identified health preventive measures already in place at the Maiduguri international airport and those in place to secure densely populated camps occupied by internally displaced persons, students in public schools and other parts of the state. The response plan however agreed not to take measures that will create panic among citizens.

The response plan adopted some measures adopted by the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian affairs in enforcing strict pandemic control measures on all its foreign humanitarian workers in line with the travel ban placed by the Nigerian government as well as international best practices normally observed by all UN affiliates.

The response plan also identified measures in all border communities across Borno State where persons coming into Nigeria through land borders are subjected to medical screening.

The plan also identified ways to engage religious and traditional bodies in aggressive public enlightenment on some control measures that will be announced during the week.