*As Lagos activates surveillance response
WorldStage– The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has intensified surveillance and preparedness measures nationwide over the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa.
The agency in a statement on Sunday said the move followed the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris said Nigeria had not recorded any confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) linked to the current regional outbreak.
He, however, said the agency had maintained heightened surveillance and preparedness activities across the country in response to rising cases in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
According to him, NCDC conducted a dynamic risk assessment which estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to international travel, population movement and uncertainty surrounding the outbreak’s full scale.
He noted that delayed recognition of the disease remained a concern because symptoms of Ebola overlap with endemic diseases in Nigeria such as malaria and Lassa fever.
Idris said high-risk states, border communities, major transport hubs and Points of Entry had been identified for priority interventions.
He added that Nigeria retained strong response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained Rapid Response Teams, functional Emergency Operations Centres and existing Viral Haemorrhagic Fever preparedness structures.
According to him, the country’s previous experience in successfully containing Ebola and other haemorrhagic fever outbreaks had strengthened current preparedness efforts.
“The National Emergency Operations Centre is on alert mode for heightened preparedness, with the National Incident Management System activated and clear coordination, reporting and escalation pathways in place,” he said.
Idris said epidemiologists and Rapid Response Teams had been placed on alert for possible deployment, while coordination with State Ministries of Health, Port Health Services and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies was being strengthened.
He said ongoing preparedness monitoring, readiness assessments and situation reporting were also underway at national and sub-national levels.
The NCDC boss added that the agency had intensified event-based surveillance and epidemic intelligence nationwide, including enhanced monitoring of alerts, rumours and unusual public health events.
According to him, enhanced surveillance activities are also ongoing at Points of Entry and border communities where the risk of importation is highest.
He said Ebola Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) readiness tools and checklists had been distributed to health facilities, while refresher sensitisation for healthcare workers on IPC protocols and early identification of suspected cases was ongoing.
Idris said states had also been advised to incorporate Ebola preparedness into existing emergency readiness plans, including the designation of isolation and treatment centres.
He added that NCDC and its partners were preparing to preposition critical response materials such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), laboratory consumables, IPC supplies and emergency medical items in strategic locations.
The director-general said Nigeria maintained laboratory testing capability in states with international Points of Entry and across the public health laboratory network, with additional surge capacity available if required.He said sample collection, transportation and referral systems for suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fever cases were also being strengthened alongside biosafety and biosecurity measures across laboratories.
SURVEILLANCE RESPONSE
The Lagos State Government has reassured residents that there is no immediate threat of Ebola Virus Disease in the state in spite of the evolving outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa.
The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in a statement on Sunday, emphasised that the state’s biosecurity and emergency response systems remained fully activated and outbreak-tested.
Abayomi disclosed that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed intensified surveillance, preparedness and rapid response measures across the state.
According to him, the outbreak, which has reportedly caused about 177 deaths from nearly 700 suspected cases, remains limited to Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
He added that the World Health Organisation had classified the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, largely due to the challenging terrain in the affected countries, which could complicate response efforts.
Abayomi, however, stressed that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case had been detected in Lagos State.
He said the state had over the years developed a resilient public health emergency structure capable of responding to infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera, diphtheria and influenza.
“The Lagos Biosecurity Bio-shield was built to protect and remains ready to respond to biological shocks. Preparedness for us is not a temporary reaction; it is a permanent culture embedded within our health system,” he said.
The commissioner noted that the state’s preparedness framework was first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and further strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abayomi explained that the response architecture is anchored on the Lagos State Incident Command System, headed by Sanwo-Olu as Incident Commander, to ensure rapid deployment of government resources and seamless coordination during emergencies.
He added that the Lagos State Emergency Operations Centre remained operational round-the-clock, carrying out disease surveillance and gathering real-time intelligence.
He noted that the centre functions through trained epidemiologists and disease surveillance specialists who could be deployed swiftly for outbreak investigation and containment.
The commissioner said the Lagos Mainland Hospital, also known as the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, had sustained a high level of readiness with infectious disease experts.
The hospital, he said, has dedicated triage systems, isolation infrastructure and intensive care facilities for managing varying degrees of infectious disease cases.
He further disclosed that the Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory and Biobank Facility within the hospital had heightened surveillance operations for the diagnosis and monitoring of high-risk pathogens in collaboration with local and international public health laboratories.
According to him, the state government is also working with Port Health Authorities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, as well as land and sea entry points.
The commissioner said the state was working in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Nigeria Institute of Medical Research.
He said all flights arriving from Central and East Africa were receiving increased public health scrutiny as part of precautionary measures aimed at strengthening early detection and risk mitigation.
Abayomi also revealed that community health workers, Community Development Associations and civil society organisations had been integrated into the state’s disease surveillance and early warning network to ensure timely transmission of information from communities to public health authorities.
He added that emergency stockpiles, including personal protective equipment, gloves, sanitisers and other critical supplies, had been strategically positioned across key locations, while ambulance services remained on standby to support rapid response operations.
“Our focus remains firmly on prevention, early detection, prompt reporting and swift multi-sectoral response. Lagos remains vigilant, organised and safe,” he said.
The commissioner assured residents that the state government would continue to collaborate closely with the Federal Government and the NCDC to provide timely and evidence-based updates as the situation develops.
He advised residents, particularly those who recently travelled to affected areas in Congo or Uganda or had close contact with persons returning from those countries, to seek medical guidance promptly if they experience health concerns.The commissioner urged residents to contact emergency numbers 767 or 112, or reach the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health on 08023169485 for assistance and information.
