Nigeria has stepped up nationwide surveillance and emergency preparedness over fears of a possible Ebola Virus Disease outbreak following rising cases in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the current regional outbreak, the country remains at high risk because of international travel, cross-border movement and ongoing transmission in affected East African nations.
In a fresh public health advisory issued on Sunday, the agency identified border communities, transport hubs and international entry points as high-risk areas requiring tighter monitoring.
The NCDC said its latest risk assessment showed that Ebola could be imported into Nigeria due to continued outbreaks in Uganda and the DRC, uncertainty over the full scale of infections, and the possibility of delayed detection since Ebola symptoms can resemble malaria and Lassa fever.
To strengthen readiness, the agency said the National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert, while the National Incident Management System has been activated to coordinate nationwide response efforts.
According to the agency, epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams are on standby for possible deployment to any state if needed.
The NCDC also said collaboration has been intensified with state Ministries of Health, Port Health Services and other agencies to improve preparedness across the country.
Enhanced surveillance and epidemic intelligence activities are ongoing nationwide, including closer monitoring of unusual health events, rumours and alerts for early detection of suspected cases.
At points of entry and border communities, health officials have also increased screening and monitoring measures.
As part of infection prevention efforts, Ebola preparedness tools and checklists have been distributed to healthcare facilities, while refresher training is ongoing for health workers on triage systems, infection prevention and early identification of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases.
States have also been directed to prepare isolation and treatment centres, assess bed capacity, improve logistics systems and ensure emergency medical supplies are available.
The agency added that plans are underway to preposition key response materials such as personal protective equipment, body bags and laboratory consumables in strategic locations nationwide.
On laboratory preparedness, the NCDC said Nigeria currently has Ebola testing capacity in states with international ports of entry and across the national public health laboratory network.
The agency also warned Nigerians against misinformation, saying public awareness campaigns and “Ebola Myths and Facts” materials have been launched to counter false claims circulating online.
Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness spread through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, secretions or contaminated materials. Common symptoms include fever, weakness, headache and muscle pain, although experts say the disease is not airborne.
The latest alert has revived memories of Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 after infected Liberian-American diplomat Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos from Liberia.
That outbreak resulted in 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths before Nigerian health authorities contained the virus through aggressive contact tracing, isolation and public awareness campaigns.
Nigeria’s response was later praised by the World Health Organization as one of Africa’s most effective epidemic containment efforts.
The renewed concern comes as health authorities in Uganda and the DRC continue battling recurring Ebola outbreaks amid increased cross-border movement and fragile healthcare systems.
