Awka - A total of 41 medical officers are currently undergoing training on management and preventive measures of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Anambra.

Dr Emmanuel Okafor, an Assistant Director of the Ministry of Health in the state said in Awka on Sunday that the training was the first of its kind in the state.

He said that the trained personnel would in turn train other health workers in the state on the dreaded disease.

Okafor, who is also the chief epidemiologist, said the selected trainees cut across medical doctors, nursing officers, environmental health officers, veterinary doctors and social mobilisers.

He affirmed that the EVD status in the state had remained clean as there had not been any reported case of the disease.

According to him, all the results from the sample taken so far from suspected victims in the state showed negative.

The director supported the September 22 resumption date for primary and secondary schools, saying that government only needed to create awareness and provide preventive measures against EVD.

"We cannot continue to keep the children at home; it is even more dangerous because their minds could be redirected to other vices.

"Moreover, keeping them at home will not stop movement at the borders or stop the EVD in other countries.

"Now that Nigeria has successful stamped out the disease, we must let the training of our children continue," he said.

Dr Rosemary Dan-Peters, leader of the three-man team from the Federal Ministry of Health, said the training was a nationwide programme by the Federal Government to ensure the country was free from EVD.

Dan-Peters said that the EVD challenge had raised issues on the lifestyles of Nigerians, adding that people should imbibe the culture of healthy lifestyles.

She said that all Nigeria must show concern to maintain the current status of the country, saying that it was not time to go to sleep on the notion that all dangers were over.

Some of the topics considered were overview and epidemiology of EVD, contact tracing and surveillance, infection prevention and control in health care setting, among others.

 NAN