The Federal Government said it has tightened health screening and surveillance at land borders, airports, and seaports nationwide following the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease.
The development comes as the World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday, scaled back the number of suspected Ebola cases in central Africa to 116, down from more than 900 previously, with 330 cases now confirmed.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, signed by the Assistant Director of Press and Public Relations, Ado Bako, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare noted that although there was currently no confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria, it stressed that heightened preparedness measures had been activated nationwide to safeguard public health.
It warned that travellers identified as high-risk or displaying symptoms associated with Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fevers will be subjected to secondary screening, isolation, and referral procedures.
“The ministry wishes to reassure Nigerians that there is presently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria.
“However, in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening national health security and preventing cross-border disease transmission, heightened preparedness measures have been activated nationwide,” the ministry stated.
It said enhanced border surveillance remained a critical component of the government’s response, with health officials directed to strengthen screening and risk assessment procedures for all incoming travellers.
Among the measures announced were mandatory temperature checks using infrared thermal scanners and handheld thermometers, health declaration forms, travel history assessments, and intensified risk profiling at designated points of entry.
The ministry said authorities had activated “enhanced traveller risk assessment and screening procedures at designated points of entry” and put in place “secondary screening, isolation, and referral mechanisms for travellers presenting symptoms consistent with viral haemorrhagic fevers.”
The development signals a return to heightened vigilance at Nigeria’s borders, reminiscent of measures adopted during previous public health emergencies, including the 2014 Ebola outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic.
To strengthen disease detection beyond the nation’s borders, the ministry said surveillance systems had been reinforced across the country through enhanced Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response activities, community-based surveillance networks, and active monitoring of public health alerts.
According to the statement, “Enhanced Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response activities nationwide” and “strengthened event-based and community-based surveillance systems” are currently ongoing to ensure early detection of any suspected case.
The government also disclosed that Public Health Emergency Operations Centres had been activated, while Rapid Response Teams at national and sub-national levels had been placed on standby.
As part of efforts to prepare the healthcare system for a potential outbreak, hospitals and clinics were directed to strengthen infection prevention and control measures, improve triage systems, and ensure prompt reporting of suspected cases.
“Healthcare facilities nationwide have also been advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for viral haemorrhagic fevers, strengthen triage systems, promptly isolate suspected cases, and adhere strictly to established reporting protocols,” the ministry said.
It urged Nigerians not to panic, stressing that the measures were precautionary and intended to ensure the country remained prepared for any eventuality.
It also advised members of the public to maintain regular hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic individuals, refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources, and promptly report unusual illnesses or deaths to health authorities.
READ ALSO: Suspected Ebola Cases Drop From 906 To 116 — WHO
As of May 31, the World Health Organization said 116 suspected cases of the deadly virus had been registered in the Democratic Republic of Congo — down from 906 late last week.
Some 321 cases have now been confirmed in the DR Congo, including 48 deaths, while nine confirmed cases have been registered in neighbouring Uganda, including one fatality.
While some suspected cases have been confirmed, many more “have been cleared out” from the data after having been shown to have other diseases with similar early symptoms or an unlinked fever, said WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier.
The WHO stressed that “anybody who gets picked up by surveillance or presents themselves in a health facility with any symptoms that could be Ebola-like” is counted as a suspected case in the outbreak, pending testing.
The outbreak was declared on May 15 in conflict-hit Ituri province in northeastern DRC, a central African country which is home to more than 100 million people and is one of the poorest in the world.
