The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of an Ebola outbreak due to the continued spread of the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Although no Ebola case has been confirmed in Nigeria, the agency said it has intensified preparedness and surveillance efforts amid fears of cross-border transmission and increased international travel.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the director-general of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency’s latest assessment showed a significant likelihood of Ebola being imported into the country.
According to the statement, the risk remains high because of ongoing outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda, population movement across borders, and the possibility of delayed detection as Ebola symptoms can resemble illnesses common in Nigeria, including malaria and Lassa fever.
The agency disclosed that several states have already been identified as vulnerable because of their proximity to borders, busy transport routes and international entry points.
The NCDC noted that emergency response operations were ongoing in affected areas of the DRC and Uganda, including surveillance, contact tracing, laboratory testing, infection prevention and public awareness campaigns.
The agency also confirmed reports of a recently imported Ebola case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in the DRC.
To strengthen Nigeria’s readiness, the NCDC said the national emergency operations centre has been placed on alert mode, while the incident management system has been activated to improve coordination in the event of any outbreak.
The agency added that Nigeria still maintains important response capacities developed during previous Ebola outbreaks, including trained rapid response teams, emergency operations centres and laboratory systems equipped to handle viral haemorrhagic diseases.
“Epidemiologists and rapid response teams are also on alert for rapid deployment to any affected state, if required,” the statement said.
The NCDC further stated that laboratories in states with international entry points had been placed on standby, while systems for sample collection and transportation were being strengthened to ensure rapid diagnosis of suspected cases.
The agency said it has also intensified public awareness campaigns and efforts to combat misinformation surrounding the disease.
According to the NCDC, social listening and rumour management systems are being expanded in collaboration with healthcare professionals, media organisations, community leaders and digital platforms to promote accurate public information.
The agency added that Ebola myths and facts materials had already been developed and distributed to counter false claims circulating online.
