Ebola: Kwara employs 100 health workers

The Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, University of Ilorin, Mr. Kunle Akogun has said that the institution is not scared of Ebola Virus Disease.

In a telephone interview with our correspondent in Ilorin on Tuesday, he stated that there was no delay in the resumption of the school’s academic activities because of Ebola scare.

He added that the institution had taken proactive measures to prevent the spread of the disease in the varsity. Continue..

He said that fresh students will resume on September 22 while old students will resume on September 27 according to Unilorin’s already laid down academic calendar.

He said the institution was not concerned with the Federal Government resumption day as it concerned secondary and primary schools.

According to him, it is a mere coincidence that the fresh students of the institution would be resuming the same day the Federal Government announced as the new date of resumption for students and pupils in both private and public secondary and primary schools across the country.

Akogun said, “It is not right that we are delaying the resumption of the school academic programme.
“Infact our new students are resuming on September 22 while returning students will be coming on September 27. This has been the school calendar.”

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government has engaged about 100 village health workers who will sensitize communities on clean environment, hygiene practices and health education to prevent diseases such as Ebola Virus Disease.

Ahmed during the inauguration of the ‘Village Health Workers’ programme said the employeees are also expected to carry out routine household visits to enhance promotion activities of good nutrition and immunization practices.

He also said that workers were engaged as part of government’s strategies to enhance community healthcare in the villages through mobilization of individuals, households and communities and also to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

Ahmed said it was noteworthy that despite the fact that Kwara State joined the MDGs programme late, it attained 8.58 percent of the Infant Mortality Rate target and 88.75 percent of the Under Mortality Rate Target until six years.

According to the Governor, the state government has over the years built new primary health centres, rehabilitated and equipped existing ones to bring affordable and qualitative healthcare to the rural areas.