NCDC Ebola surveillance alert intensifies as Nigeria strengthens border monitoring and emergency preparedness over Uganda and DRC outbreaks

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has intensified nationwide surveillance and emergency preparedness measures against Ebola Virus Disease following the growing outbreaks in Uganda and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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In a fresh public health advisory issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said Nigeria had not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the current regional outbreak but warned that the risk of importation remains high because of international travel and cross-border population movement.

The agency said its latest risk assessment identified border communities, international airports, transport hubs and other entry points as high-risk areas requiring intensified monitoring and rapid detection systems.

According to the advisory, the National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, while the National Incident Management System has also been activated to coordinate nationwide response activities through clear reporting and escalation channels.

The NCDC stated that epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams have been placed on standby for immediate deployment to any state if a suspected case emerges.

“This assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel and population movement, uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak, and the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever,” the advisory stated.

The public health agency added that coordination efforts with state Ministries of Health, Port Health Services and other government agencies had been strengthened to improve national preparedness.

Surveillance and epidemic intelligence activities have also been intensified nationwide, including enhanced monitoring of unusual health incidents, rumours and alerts to ensure early identification of suspected infections.

The agency disclosed that additional preparedness tools and infection prevention checklists had been distributed to healthcare facilities across the country.

Refresher training programmes are also ongoing for health workers on triage systems, infection prevention protocols and the early detection of suspected viral haemorrhagic fever cases.

States have further been advised to designate isolation and treatment centres, assess bed capacity and improve logistics systems to ensure rapid response capability.

The NCDC said plans were underway to strategically preposition emergency materials such as personal protective equipment, laboratory consumables and body bags in key locations nationwide.

On laboratory readiness, the agency noted that Nigeria currently maintains Ebola testing capability in states with international ports of entry as well as within the national public health laboratory network.

The advisory also warned against the spread of misinformation, revealing that public awareness campaigns had been intensified alongside the distribution of “Ebola Myths and Facts” materials aimed at countering false claims online.

Ebola Virus Disease is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, bodily fluids and contaminated materials. Symptoms include fever, weakness, headache and muscle pain, although health experts stress that the disease does not spread through the air.

Nigeria’s latest preparedness push revives memories of the country’s acclaimed containment of Ebola in 2014 after infected Liberian-American diplomat Patrick Sawyer arrived in Lagos from Liberia.

That outbreak resulted in 20 confirmed cases and eight deaths before Nigerian health authorities successfully halted transmission through aggressive contact tracing, isolation measures and sustained public awareness campaigns, an effort later praised by the World Health Organization.

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Public health experts have continued to warn that increased international travel, porous borders and recurring outbreaks in Central and East Africa remain powerful threats despite improved disease surveillance systems established after COVID-19, monkeypox and Lassa fever outbreaks.