Health expert tasks govt on preventing epidemics, pandemics

A professor of Public Health Microbiology and Parasitology, Abdulazeez Abubakar, has called on governments at all levels to be prepared for more epidemics and pandemics in the future.

While delivering the 6th inaugural lecture of the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo State, Abubakar urged that measures capable of tackling such health disasters should be put in place.

Speaking at the Laje Campus of the University, the health expert in his lecture titled “A world held hostage by microbes: Exploring the ways out of captivity,” the health expert highlighted the ravaging effects of microbes and possible solutions to alleviate the havoc wreaked on the hosts.

The don also explored various microbial arsenals for attack and defense as tools for human hostages, such as possession of beta-lactamase enzyme, production of serotoxins, and presence of H antigen, among others.

According to him, his research experience had led to significant contributions towards exploring ways out of microbial captivity, adding that “microbes are everywhere around us: in the air, water, and land, residing in our foods, drinks, meats, toilet door handles, wash-hand basins, and toothbrushes.

“Therefore they are capable of wreaking havoc on their hosts if good personal hygiene and environmental sanitation are inadequate to control, contain, and curtail them.”

While emphasizing that “we cannot afford to be caught unawares again!”, he lamented on the previous experience from the recent COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging diseases such as Ebola and Lassa.

He added that a conducive environment must be provided for productive research by the government, and researchers also must strive towards multidisciplinary collaborations locally and globally so as to be free from a world held hostage by microbes.