The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reassured Nigerians that the country remains free of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), even as outbreaks intensify in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
In a public advisory on Sunday, NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, said, “Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease.”
He added that the agency, in collaboration with key stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health’s Port Health Service, has activated emergency surveillance measures across the country to prevent any possible spread.
Dr. Idris urged the public to remain calm, adhere to hygiene protocols, and avoid spreading unverified information.
He also advised healthcare workers to maintain heightened vigilance for patients presenting with Ebola-compatible symptoms, especially those with relevant travel or exposure history.
The NCDC’s advisory follows a deadly Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC’s Ituri province, where 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases have been reported, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, noting that there is currently no vaccine available for the strain involved.
Fears of further regional spread escalated after a laboratory in Goma, a major eastern city in DRC, confirmed a new case linked to cross-border travel.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that the epidemic poses a serious international health threat, though it does not yet meet criteria for a global pandemic.
Nigerians are being urged to remain vigilant, prioritise hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of the sick, and report any suspicious symptoms to health authorities.
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