Nigeria has strengthened nationwide surveillance and emergency response measures against the spread of Ebola Virus Disease following concerns over ongoing outbreaks in parts of East Africa, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has announced.
In a fresh public health advisory issued by the agency’s Director-General, Jide Idris, the NCDC stated that while no confirmed Ebola case linked to the current regional outbreak has been recorded in Nigeria, the risk of the disease entering the country remains significant.
The agency attributed the heightened concern to increasing international travel, population movement and the scale of infections reported in affected countries, including Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to the advisory, recent risk assessments identified border communities, major transport hubs and international entry points as vulnerable areas requiring closer monitoring and stronger surveillance measures.
“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 agency stated.
As part of its preparedness measures, the NCDC disclosed that the National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert status, while the National Incident Management System has been activated with defined reporting structures and response channels across the country.
The agency further revealed that epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams have been placed on standby for immediate deployment to any state should the need arise.
