LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Federal Government has approved N785.3 million to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), ramping up surveillance and response measures following outbreaks reported in parts of the region.
The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Olajide Idris, disclosed this during the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) Meeting in Abuja.
Although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case, Idris said the agency activated its response immediately after news of the regional outbreak emerged instead of waiting for the reconstituted Presidential Ebola Task Force to begin formal operations.
“The task force has only met once, but we did not wait for its reconstitution because we started working immediately after the outbreak was reported,” Idris said.
READ ALSO: UK Deploys Emergency Aid After Ebola Cases Spread Across Central Africa
To reduce the risk of importation, the NCDC has partnered with Port Health Services, aviation authorities, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen surveillance at the country’s entry points.
Initially, the enhanced screening targets five states with international airports.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has also introduced health declaration forms for all inbound travelers before they arrive in Nigeria.
According to Idris, travelers identified as persons of interest are documented, monitored, and their destination states alerted to ensure appropriate follow-up.
While he admitted there were implementation challenges, he expressed confidence that the surveillance system would continue to improve.
Notably, the NCDC has inspected molecular laboratories and isolation centers established during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their readiness for a possible Ebola outbreak.
Idris revealed that executive approval has been granted for N785.3 million to fund Ebola readiness activities, while the State Ebola Readiness Plan has been completed and the release of funds to states is at an advanced stage.
However, the assessment exposed major gaps in existing infrastructure.
READ ALSO: WHO Weighs Experimental Vaccines As Deadly Ebola Crisis Spreads In DR Congo
“We found that most of the facilities are in a horrible, dilapidated state. Some have been abandoned and require urgent rehabilitation,” he stated.
Idris also noted that unreliable electricity has disrupted operations in some molecular laboratories, leading to the loss of reagents and other essential laboratory consumables.
With Ebola remaining a public health threat in parts of Africa, health authorities maintain that strengthening surveillance systems, rehabilitating critical facilities, and ensuring rapid response capacity remain key priorities to prevent the virus from entering Nigeria.
