Nigeria is on high alert as it intensifies nationwide surveillance, border monitoring and emergency preparedness measures in response to renewed Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Jide Idris, issued a public health statement confirming that no cases in Nigeria have been related to the current regional outbreak. However, it cautioned that the danger of importation remains high due to increased population movement, international travel, and continuous transmission in the vulnerable East African nations.
“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever.”
Jide Idris
According to the NCDC, the National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System has been activated to ensure a coordinated national response should any suspected case be detected.
The agency added that Epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams are currently on standby for immediate deployment to any state requiring intervention.
The health authority further noted that, it is also strengthening coordination with state Ministries of Health, Port Health Services and other relevant agencies to improve preparedness and response capacity across the country. “Enhanced surveillance activities are also ongoing at points of entry and border communities,” the agency noted.
As part of broader preparedness efforts, the NCDC indicated that, Ebola response tools and operational checklists have been distributed to health facilities across the country.
Refresher trainings are also underway for healthcare workers on infection prevention and control, triage systems and early detection of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases.
States have been advised to identify and equip isolation and treatment centres, assess bed capacity and strengthen logistics systems to ensure rapid response capability in the event of an outbreak.
The agency also disclosed that preparations are ongoing to preposition critical response materials, including personal protective equipment, laboratory consumables, body bags and other emergency supplies in strategic locations nationwide.
Regarding laboratory readiness, the NCDC stated that Nigeria presently has diagnostic capability in both the national public health laboratory network and states with international points of entry. It also stated that the Ebola surge testing capability is still accessible if needed.
Furthermore, the agency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid misinformation, noting that public awareness campaigns have been intensified. Educational materials, including “Ebola Myths and Facts” resources, are also being circulated to counter false information and improve community awareness.
Nigeria’s heightened alert has revived memories of the country’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014, when an infected Liberian-American diplomat introduced the virus into Lagos. The outbreak resulted in 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths before being contained through aggressive contact tracing, isolation and coordinated public health intervention.
That response was widely praised by the World Health Organisation and remains a benchmark for epidemic control in Africa.
The current regional concern follows ongoing Ebola outbreaks in parts of East and Central Africa, particularly Uganda and the DRC, where health authorities continue to grapple with recurring viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks amid cross-border movement and fragile health systems.
Ten African Countries at Risk as Ebola Outbreak Spreads, Africa CDC Warns
Earlier, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned that 10 countries across the continent are at risk of being affected by the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa, raising fresh concerns over potential regional spread.
Director of Africa CDC, Jean Kaseya, disclosed that“we have 10 countries at risk,” identifying Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia as vulnerable due to their proximity and cross-border movement patterns.
According to him, high levels of mobility, coupled with insecurity in several affected regions, are significantly increasing the risk of transmission beyond the current epicentres in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
The warning comes shortly after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak a global health emergency, citing its potential for wider international spread if not contained swiftly.
Health authorities noted that, the outbreak has already recorded hundreds of suspected cases and more than 170 suspected deaths, with the majority of infections concentrated in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Moreover, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also confirmed that more than 900 suspected Ebola cases, including over 100 confirmed infections, have been identified in the DRC alone.
READ ALSO: Kotoko Interim Coach Admits “Poor” Season After Final Day Defeat
