The Federal Government has urged 15 states to urgently strengthen their preparedness and response plans for Ebola Virus Disease following the confirmation of an imported case in the Federal Capital Territory.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, gave the warning while briefing the National Economic Council on the country’s response to the outbreak.
Pate said 21 states had updated their Ebola response plans and improved their preparedness, urging the remaining states to expedite measures to prevent the possible spread of the disease.
He said the government was working with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to coordinate the national response.
The minister disclosed that hospitals across the country had been directed to provide isolation beds, strengthen infection prevention and control measures, and prepare health workers to manage suspected cases safely.
He also urged private healthcare facilities to strengthen surveillance and promptly report suspected Ebola cases to the relevant public health authorities, noting that the infected woman had initially sought treatment at a private hospital.
Pate said the government was intensifying contact tracing, surveillance and emergency preparedness to prevent the infection from spreading beyond the index case and developing into community transmission.
He identified coordination among government agencies, detection at points of entry, laboratory testing, logistics for essential medical supplies and personal protective equipment, and effective public communication as critical components of the response.
The minister added that the Federal Government had provided additional funding to the NCDC and invited genomics expert, Prof. Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University, Ede, to support investigations into the virus.
He said the outbreak was linked to the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which differs from the Zaire strain responsible for the major West African outbreak between 2014 and 2016.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain vigilant without panicking, advising anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, headaches and muscle aches, particularly those with relevant travel histories or possible exposure, to isolate themselves and promptly contact public health authorities.
He reassured Nigerians that the country had the public health institutions and experience needed to contain the disease, recalling Nigeria’s response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, directed government information agencies to intensify public enlightenment on Ebola prevention and containment.
The agencies, including the National Orientation Agency, Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria and News Agency of Nigeria, were tasked with disseminating verified information in local languages and working with community and religious leaders to discourage misinformation.
The Federal Government urged the public to rely on official health information and report suspected cases promptly through the NCDC’s toll-free, 24-hour emergency line, 6232.
