By Babs Oyetoro
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has raised fresh concerns over the risk of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) entering the country following ongoing outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
The agency said that although no Ebola case has been confirmed in Nigeria, increased regional transmission, international travel, and cross-border movement have heightened fears of possible importation.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed that the agency’s latest assessment classified Nigeria’s Ebola importation risk as high.
“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,” the statement said.
The agency identified several states as vulnerable because of their proximity to international land borders, transport corridors, and points of entry.
The NCDC noted that health authorities in the affected countries were intensifying surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention measures, and public sensitisation campaigns to contain the outbreak.
“However, we are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in DRC,” the agency stated.
*Emergency operations centre activated nationwide amid regional outbreaks
As part of precautionary measures, the NCDC said Nigeria’s national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) had been placed on alert mode.
At the same time, the incident management system was activated to strengthen coordination and nationwide outbreak-response capacity.
The agency further stated that Nigeria still retains critical structures and expertise developed during previous responses to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic diseases.
“It also must be noted that Nigeria maintains important response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres (EOCs), established viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures, and prior experience in successfully responding to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks,” the statement added.
*Labs, rapid response teams placed on standby across states
The NCDC disclosed that epidemiologists and rapid response teams across the country had been placed on standby for immediate deployment should any suspected case emerge.
It also said laboratories located in states with international entry points had been placed on alert, while efforts were ongoing to strengthen sample collection and transportation systems for rapid diagnosis.
Meanwhile, the agency said it had intensified public awareness and risk communication campaigns to tackle misinformation and false claims surrounding Ebola.
“NCDC is strengthening public awareness and risk communication activities, intensifying social listening and rumour management systems, and working with media organisations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and digital platforms to amplify credible information and promote responsible public discourse,” the statement said.
The agency added that educational materials on Ebola myths and facts had also been developed and circulated to counter online false narratives.
