Nigeria braces for possible Ebola outbreak, says NCDC

Nigeria has heightened its nationwide surveillance and emergency preparedness protocols in response to the escalating outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as announced by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.

In a new public health advisory released by the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, on Sunday, the agency indicated that Nigeria has not yet reported any confirmed cases associated with the current regional outbreak. However, it cautioned that the risk of importation remains elevated due to international travel, population movement, and the extent of transmission in the affected East African nations.

The agency noted that its most recent risk assessment has identified border communities, major transportation hubs, and international entry points as high-risk areas that necessitate enhanced monitoring.

"This assessment has determined that the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria is high due to ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel, population movement, uncertainty regarding the full scale of the outbreak, and the possibility of delayed recognition since symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever," the advisory stated.

The NCDC reported that the National Emergency Operations Centre has been activated to alert mode, and the National Incident Management System has been initiated with established reporting and escalation pathways to coordinate response efforts across the nation.

The agency also mentioned that epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams are on standby for potential deployment to any state if necessary.

Furthermore, the public health agency revealed that it is enhancing coordination with state Ministries of Health, Port Health Services, and other pertinent government agencies as part of its strategy to bolster national preparedness.

The agency further indicated that surveillance and epidemic intelligence operations have been heightened throughout the nation, which includes improved monitoring of atypical public health occurrences, rumors, and alerts to facilitate the early identification of suspected cases.

"Ongoing enhanced surveillance activities are also being conducted at entry points and border communities," it added.

In its efforts to prevent infections, the NCDC reported that Ebola preparedness tools and checklists have been disseminated to healthcare facilities across the country, while refresher training sessions are being conducted for health workers on triage systems, infection prevention protocols, and the early detection of suspected viral hemorrhagic fever cases.

The agency mentioned that states have been urged to establish isolation and treatment centers, evaluate bed capacity, enhance logistics systems, and ensure the availability of emergency medical supplies.

It highlighted that plans are in progress to strategically position critical response materials such as personal protective equipment, body bags, laboratory consumables, and other emergency supplies throughout the country.

Regarding laboratory preparedness, the NCDC stated that Nigeria currently possesses testing capabilities in states with international ports of entry and within the national public health laboratory network, noting that surge capacity for Ebola testing is available if required.

The agency also cautioned against misinformation, stating that it has intensified public awareness initiatives and created "Ebola Myths and Facts" materials to combat false information circulating online.

Ebola Virus Disease is a serious and frequently fatal illness that is transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids, secretions, or contaminated materials.

Symptoms include fever, weakness, headache, and muscle pain. Health professionals assert that the disease does not spread through the air.

Nigeria's most recent alert brings back memories of the country's successful containment of Ebola in 2014, following the arrival of an infected Liberian-American diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, in Lagos.

The outbreak resulted in 20 confirmed cases and eight fatalities before health authorities managed to halt further transmission through rigorous contact tracing, isolation protocols, and public awareness initiatives.

Nigeria's response during that period received widespread commendation from the World Health Organisation and is now considered one of Africa's most successful epidemic containment strategies.

The current regional concern arises from renewed Ebola outbreaks in certain areas of Central and East Africa, especially in Uganda and the DRC, where health authorities are still confronting ongoing viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks amidst cross-border movements and fragile health infrastructures.

Public health experts have consistently cautioned that increased global travel and porous borders continue to present substantial risks for nations across Africa, including Nigeria, despite the enhanced disease surveillance systems that were implemented following the COVID-19 pandemic and previous outbreaks of Ebola, monkeypox, and Lassa fever.