On August 25, 2014, the Federal Government cremated the bodies of the four Nigerians who died of the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD in accordance with World Health Organisation, WHO, guidelines for the safe disposal of infectious corpses.
Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health made this disclosure at a press briefing in Abuja.
According to Onyebuchi, the decision was taken to prevent further transmission of the virus and to protect public health.
“Due to the highly contagious nature of the Ebola virus, international best practice as recommended by the WHO requires cremation of the bodies of those who died from the disease,” the Minister said. “This has been duly carried out.”
The four victims were among those who contracted the virus after coming in contact with Mr. Patrick Sawyer, the Liberian-American who brought Ebola into Nigeria in July. Sawyer died on July 25 at the First Consultants Hospital in Obalende, Lagos.
Health officials said the cremation was done at a facility in Lagos under strict supervision by officials of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Lagos State Government, and WHO representatives.
According to WHO protocols, bodies of Ebola victims remain infectious and traditional burial practices that involve washing and touching the corpse pose a high risk of spread. Cremation eliminates the virus completely.
A senior official of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control who was present at the exercise said: “The families were fully briefed and they consented. The process was dignified and in line with global standards.”
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed over 1,200 people, mainly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Nigeria’s swift response was praised by the WHO as a model for containment.
