From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has assured Nigerians that the country remains safe from Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), with no confirmed case recorded nationwide despite fresh outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
In a public health advisory issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, stated that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Nigeria.
“Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease”, Idris said.
The reassurance comes amid growing concerns across Africa following reports of rising infections and fatalities linked to the deadly haemorrhagic fever in parts of Central and East Africa.
The NCDC said it is working closely with relevant stakeholders and health agencies to sustain vigilance and strengthen the country’s preparedness against any possible importation of the disease.
According to the agency, collaborative efforts are ongoing with the Port Health Service under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, as well as other public health institutions, to monitor developments and reinforce surveillance at borders and other entry points.
“The agency and relevant stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation and working with relevant stakeholders, including the Port Health Service (Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare), to ensure continued vigilance and preparedness within the public health system”, the advisory stated.
The agency urged Nigerians to remain calm and avoid circulating false information capable of causing unnecessary panic.
It also encouraged citizens to continue observing preventive measures such as regular hand washing, avoiding contact with bodily fluids of sick individuals, and reporting suspected symptoms promptly to health authorities.
The NCDC further advised healthcare workers nationwide to maintain a high level of alertness, especially when attending to patients presenting symptoms associated with Ebola and with relevant travel or exposure history.
“Healthcare workers are advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for EVD in patients presenting with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history”, the advisory added.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern following an increase in infections and deaths linked to a strain for which there is currently no approved vaccine.
The declaration followed confirmation of a case in Goma, a major eastern city in the DRC currently controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia, raising fears of wider regional transmission.
According to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), at least 88 deaths and 336 suspected cases have so far been recorded in the outbreak.
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, Director of the Congolese National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB), disclosed that the confirmed case in Goma involved the wife of a man who died of Ebola in Bunia.
“A positive case in Goma has been confirmed by tests carried out by the laboratory. It involves the wife of a man who died of Ebola in Bunia, who travelled to Goma after her husband’s death whilst already infected”, Muyembe told AFP.
Reacting to the situation, WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, expressed concern over the spread of the outbreak.
“I determine that the epidemic constitutes a public health emergency of international concern”, Ghebreyesus posted on X, while clarifying that the situation had not yet reached the threshold of a global pandemic under existing international health regulations.
Nigeria previously gained international recognition for successfully containing Ebola during the 2014 outbreak through rapid response measures, coordinated contact tracing, and aggressive public health interventions.
Health experts say the latest assurance by the NCDC highlights the country’s improved disease surveillance and emergency response systems to protect Nigerians from cross-border infectious disease threats.
