Journal des maladies tropicales et de la santé publique

Abstrait

Novel Coronavirus (nCoV-19): A Challenge to Public Health Practitioners

Suleiman Said Buba*

Towards the middle of the 20^th century, improvement in the area of public health practices such as sanitations, the wide spread used of antibiotic drugs as a treatment method, potential recognitions of hazard, timely identification of outbreaks of infectious diseases, immediate isolations and quarantine practices, prompt contact tracing and vaccinations as preventive therapy had considerably reduced the number of people who died from pathogenic microorganisms. Throughout history, public health effort has been directed toward the control of transmissible diseases, reduction of environmental hazards and provision of safe drinking water and housing. These measures had led the sole foundation for the control and prevention of water and food borne diseases and some few neglected tropical diseases. However, today we are still witnessing it periodic backs slash at time, and in sporadic manner, due to poor public health measures and practices, weak health systems research and dilapidated health institution especially in some developing nations of Africa and Asia. Infectious diseases especially (viral infection) have for centuries ranked with fear, war and famine as major threats and challenge to public health movement as well as progress and survival of the human species. That is a reminder to public health practitioners, that communicable diseases must be a matter of concern.

This article is devoted to a discussion of the most recent catastrophic world-wide proliferations of novel coronavirus (nCov-19). The challenge it imposed on public health practitioners and public health facilities along with the mechanism for prevention and control of the viral pathogen.