Conversation with the pandemic guru

IGambo Dori have come across Professor Abdulsalami Nasidi on many talk shows in the Al Jazeera and other international tele outlets. His pointed, informed, analyses on the various epidemics that raged in Nigeria and other African countries were illuminating to a great extent. When the corona virus COVID-19 pandemic broke out his contributions to the debate increased many fold. Therefore, when I was seeking fresh perspectives on the pandemic, including reassurances on what the country is doing right, I guessed he was the person to look for and talk to. Our paths had crossed a number of times pursuing our careers in the Federal Civil Service and I hoped our conversation would proceed on an even keel.

In the last many days Abuja had been on the lockdown and one could not go far from one’s house. Fortunately, I found that we not only live in the same vicinity with the Professor but we were also within a walking distance from each other, on the same side of the street. On appointment I just strolled to his house to have him share his experiences on handling all the epidemics we have run through in this country in the 40 and more years. But on being welcome to his residence, I inadvertently put the wrong foot forward by stretching my hand to him for a handshake. A smile on his face and his jutting ankle quickly dawned on me that initiating a handshake in these times was equivalent to a faux pas. We quickly crossed that gaffe and for the next hour or so settled to a very educating chitchat.

If there is anyone that could be said to be a guru in the epidemics/pandemics field that person could easily be Professor Abdulsalami Nasidi. For the past 40 or so years he had practically known nothing else beyond his professional absorption with epidemics and how to contain them. He had trained to be a surgeon and worked as one during his houseman years in ABU Teaching Hospital and UNN Teaching Hospital Enugu where he relocated to continue. It was only in 1980 when he moved to the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Yaba, Lagos that his interest veered to epidemiology, an interest that became a burning, lifelong, pursuit that turned out well for both himself and the nation.

In the next many years he was involved in the containment of most the epidemics afflicting the populace ranging from meningitis, cholera, polio, measles, malaria, AIDS, and all sorts of flu. He was a pioneer in the research and production of anti-venom against the deadliest snakes’ venoms in the North-east. But it was the Lassa and Ebola that particularly enhanced Professor Nasidi’s reputation among his peers in the epidemiological circles. As the Chief Epidemiologist and Director of Public Health, in the Federal Ministry of Health he saw the need for the establishment of the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). He foresaw it as an independent body that could be relied upon to be proactive to public health emergencies, as we have now. He worked assiduously for its implementation and became its chief executive when it became a reality. During the Ebola epidemic Professor Nasidi was singled out among a few by the then Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola as one ‘who saw and conquered Ebola’.

When we settled to our chat one of the first issues we broached was the readiness of the country at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Were we really ready? His answer was both a yes and a no. He answered in the affirmative because the country had a good reservoir of well-trained public health officials that had been containing epidemics over the years. They had an internationally acclaimed outing during the Ebola and Lassa fever epidemics. They have even run certain epidemics that plagued the country to extinction. This had buoyed up plenty of confidence among the health workers to tackle the new pandemic. The built up capacity of the health workers after Ebola, the upgraded capability of the health institutions, particularly the laboratories and other surveillance equipment, handheld scanners and all that, helped to give the nation a good start up when the present pandemic broke out.

However, we could say we did not do well at taking the prompt political decision to close the airports in time nor did we establish isolation centres equipped to standards in good time. But as a counter he asked, really how many countries were prepared for this pandemic? The answer is obviously none. Even countries that are richer than Nigeria with more sophisticated and comprehensive healthcare systems faltered in this important prognosis. It is arguable, but the number of death in many countries of Western Europe and the USA would have been much lower had the preparations in those countries been at the par with some of the Asian countries who were evidently more successful.

A question that might have probably nagged many of my readers’ minds would be the low rate of infection compared to the size of our population. A lot of foolhardy theories had been bandied about Nigeria been in the Equatorial hot zone making it difficult for the virus to survive. But the Professor discountenanced such unproven notions and advanced a more likely reason of this country not doing sufficient tests patently due to lack of the equipment to do so. Our number of cases would probably have been greater if we had the equipment to do more testing on the populace. After all Ghana with a smaller population has a much higher number of cases because it has more equipment.

But as the Professor pointed out most countries suffered from these deficiencies, even in Europe. The countries that had more success in containing the pandemic, particularly those in Asia, were saved by their ability to quickly muster the resources to hurriedly manufacture or acquire the testing equipment. For a country having sufficient number of testing equipment meant you could promptly isolate potential cases and stop the opportunity for rapid cross infections which is the hallmark of the pandemic. And if you have well equipped laboratories to test the samples and sufficient isolation centres to house cases, the country is on the fast track to success.

We had so many grounds to cover but duty was beckoning the Professor. In these pandemic times his attention was required in many hot spots. His driver was already revving up the car when I took my leave. There were outstanding questions to ponder upon, as what we visualise at the end of this pandemic. Would we have our lives back as it were? If not, what do we foresee as life after the pandemic? The focus today is on health care. What can we do to make government sustain the focus on health care?

On a personal note I was intrigued to learn that Professor Nasidi is the Provost of College of Health Sciences University of Africa, Toru-Orua in Bayelsa. I wondered at the connection between the Kano indigene and Bayelsa State.  Another matter he told me in passing was how he became a boy soldier during the Nigerian Civil War. After secondary school in 1968 he won a scholarship to study medicine in Russia. He was on his way to take the flight to Moscow when he went through the east and was holed up in the war front till the war ended. He lived among the soldiers and got to learn how to use a Kalashnikov and other small arms. These are stories for another time. Keep a date with this page.