The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has activated emergency measures to guard against a possible outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the country, following fresh cases reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a public health advisory issued on Saturday, the agency said it was working with ministries, departments, agencies, and development partners to boost monitoring efforts and strengthen preparedness.
According to the NCDC, heightened surveillance has been rolled out at Nigeria’s borders and points of entry to ensure early detection of potential cases, while healthcare facilities nationwide have been directed to reinforce infection prevention and control measures to protect both patients and medical workers.
The advisory, signed by the NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, stressed that Nigeria’s preparedness strategy includes tighter screening protocols, improved laboratory capacity, and rapid response mechanisms to contain any imported case.
The warning comes as health authorities in the DRC battle an outbreak of Ebola in Kasai Province, where dozens of cases and multiple deaths have already been reported.