The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of Ebola Virus Disease importation amid worsening outbreaks in parts of Central and East Africa, triggering an immediate scale-up of national preparedness measures.
The agency, in a public health advisory issued on Sunday by its Director-General, Jide Idris, however, clarified that no case of Ebola had been recorded in the country.
It attributed the elevated risk to ongoing transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, coupled with increased international travel, cross-border movements, and the possibility of delayed detection due to symptom overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever.
Idris said, “The assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in affected countries, international travel and population movement, uncertainty around the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition.”
As part of intensified preparedness, the NCDC said the National Emergency Operations Centre had been placed on alert, while the National Incident Management System had been activated with clear reporting and escalation protocols.
The agency added that Rapid Response Teams and epidemiologists had been positioned on standby for swift deployment to any part of the country, while surveillance had been strengthened across border communities and points of entry.
Healthcare facilities nationwide have also been directed to heighten vigilance and promptly identify suspected cases, as refresher training programmes on infection prevention and control are being conducted for health workers.
On treatment readiness, the NCDC said state governments had been advised to designate isolation centres, assess bed capacity, strengthen ambulance referral systems, and ensure the availability of essential medical supplies.
It further disclosed that critical response materials, including personal protective equipment, laboratory consumables, and emergency medical kits, were being strategically prepositioned across the country.
The agency noted that Nigeria retains laboratory testing capacity for Ebola in states with international airports and within its public health laboratory network.
While urging calm, the NCDC cautioned against the spread of misinformation and advised Nigerians to adopt preventive measures, including avoiding contact with bodily fluids of infected persons and reporting symptoms promptly.
“Seek care early and avoid self-medication,” the agency said, adding that travellers from affected countries should monitor their health for 21 days and report any symptoms immediately.
The NCDC also reminded citizens that Ebola is not airborne, stressing that early detection, isolation, and strict infection control measures remain critical to preventing transmission.
It urged the public to rely only on verified information from official health authorities and refrain from spreading unconfirmed reports.
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