Oseni Tijani I A, Agbede Ramatu O, Fatusin Bolatito B, Odewale Michael A
Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Nigeria; and, Department of Family Medicine, Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua.
Afr J Prim Health Care Fam Med. 2020 Jun 18;12(1):e1-e3. doi: 10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2492.
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been ravaging Nigeria and the world with increasing morbidity and mortality. Despite efforts by the Nigerian government implemented through the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to reduce the scourge of the disease through public enlightenment and regular updates, the number of new cases and mortalities from COVID-19 are still increasing. Family physicians (FPs) who are the first contact of care for most patients accessing private and public health facilities in Nigeria have been working tirelessly to reduce the scourge of the pandemic in Nigeria. They continuously update themselves through regular webinars and online resources and guidelines provided by the Society of Family Physicians of Nigeria (SOFPON). Measures adopted by FPs across the country in the fight against the scourge include triaging patients as they present to the family medicine clinics; health education and enlightenment of the populace; and ensuring social distancing, regular handwashing and compulsory use of face mask by both physicians and patients during clinical consultations. Other measures include incorporating family-focused behavioural interventions in their practice, home-based care to reduce the number of persons visiting the hospital, telemedicine and Hospice and palliative care services to the elderly and terminally ill. In conclusion, FPs in Nigeria are helping to reduce the scourge of COVID-19 through patient education and innovative healthcare delivery that does not put patients at increased risk of the disease whilst promptly recognising potential COVID-19 patients and referring them for early diagnosis and treatment.
2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行一直在肆虐尼日利亚乃至全球，发病率和死亡率不断上升。尽管尼日利亚政府通过尼日利亚疾病控制中心（NCDC）努力通过公众宣传和定期更新来减少该疾病的祸害，但COVID-19的新病例和死亡人数仍在增加。在尼日利亚，大多数前往私立和公立医疗机构就诊的患者首先接触的是家庭医生（FPs），他们一直在不懈努力以减少尼日利亚大流行的祸害。他们通过参加尼日利亚家庭医生协会（SOFPON）提供的定期网络研讨会以及在线资源和指南来不断更新自己的知识。全国各地的家庭医生在抗击这一祸害中采取的措施包括：在患者前往家庭医学诊所就诊时进行分诊；对民众进行健康教育和宣传；确保社交距离、定期洗手，并在临床咨询期间要求医生和患者强制佩戴口罩。其他措施包括在实践中纳入以家庭为重点的行为干预措施、提供居家护理以减少前往医院的人数、提供远程医疗服务以及为老年人和绝症患者提供临终关怀和姑息治疗服务。总之，尼日利亚的家庭医生通过患者教育和创新的医疗服务来帮助减少COVID-19的祸害，这些服务不会使患者面临更高的患病风险，同时能及时识别潜在的COVID-19患者并将他们转诊以便进行早期诊断和治疗。
