As Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo continue to count their losses from the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus in the countries, the Nigerian government has addressed growing concerns about the possibility of its spead to the country.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said based on the available data and findings of its preliminary risk assessment, the likeliness of Ebola Virus Disease in the country remains low.
NCDC pointed out that adequate measures have been made to tighten security at the Nigerian airports and borders.
“Our national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), situated at the Incident Coordination Centre (ICC) in NCDC Abuja, is functional and currently in Alert Mode for EVD.
“Our team of national first responders are on standby and ready for deployment within 24 hours when the need arises. Public Health EOCs (PHEOCs) in States where major points of entry are located (Lagos, Kano, Abuja and Port Harcourt) are also on standby.
“We have improved point-of-entry screenings in major airports; the Port Health Services unit of the Federal Ministry of Health is on alert and has heightened screening measures at entry points at our ports,” the agency noted.
NCDC also said there are currently ongoing Infection Prevention Control (IPC) programs nationwide, including the development of new guidelines, as well as training packages for health care workers to mitigate transmission.
The agency urged Nigerians to “avoid direct handling of dead wild animals, avoid physical contact with anyone who has possible symptoms of an infection with an unknown diagnosis, make sure fruit and vegetables are properly washed and peeled before you eat them.”
Health care workers are also advised to ensure universal precautions at all times.
On 11th of June 2019, the Ugandan Ministry of Health confirmed an outbreak of EVD in Kasese District, at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The index case was a 5-year old boy who fell ill after a visit to Mabalako Health Zone in Democratic Republic of the Congo to attend the burial of his grand-father, a confirmed EVD case, who died in the community on 1st of June 2019.
As at 12th June 2019, the Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) has confirmed three (03) cases of EVD and one (01) death recorded. A total of eight contacts have been identified and are being closely monitored.
As at 14th June 2019, ring vaccination for high risk contacts and frontline healthcare workers is currently ongoing. The district taskforce on EVD, a national Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), WHO Uganda Country Office and Partners are supporting the response in the country.
