The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that the country remains at high risk of recording an Ebola outbreak due to the continued spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.
Although no Ebola case has been confirmed in Nigeria, the agency said it has intensified preparedness and surveillance efforts as concerns grow over possible cross-border transmission linked to international travel and population movement.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, said the agency’s latest risk assessment indicated that Nigeria remains vulnerable to the importation of the virus.
“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 statement reads.
The agency explained that several states have already been identified as high-risk areas because of their proximity to borders, transport corridors and international entry points.
According to the NCDC, health authorities in the DRC and Uganda are already carrying out emergency response measures, including surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention, laboratory testing and public sensitisation campaigns.
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“However, we are aware of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and recent reports of a confirmed imported case in Uganda linked to the outbreak in DRC,” the agency said.
The NCDC also disclosed that Nigeria’s National Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on alert mode, while the country’s incident management system has been activated to strengthen coordination and emergency response capacity.
The agency noted that Nigeria still retains critical experience and infrastructure from previous Ebola outbreaks, including trained response teams, emergency operation centres and laboratory systems.
“It also must be noted that Nigeria maintains important response capacities, including laboratory capability, trained rapid response teams, functional emergency operations centres (EOCs), established Viral haemorrhagic fever preparedness structures, and prior experience in successfully responding to Ebola and other viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks,” the statement added.
“Epidemiologists and rapid response teams (RRTs) are also on alert for rapid deployment to any affected state, if required.”
The agency further stated that laboratories located near international entry points have been placed on standby, while efforts are ongoing to improve sample collection and transportation systems for quicker diagnosis of suspected cases.
The NCDC added that it is also increasing public awareness campaigns to combat misinformation and false narratives surrounding Ebola.
“NCDC is strengthening public awareness and risk communication activities, intensifying social listening and rumour management systems, and working with media organizations, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and digital platforms to amplify credible information and promote responsible public discourse,” the statement added.
“NCDC has also developed and disseminated Ebola Myths and Facts materials to address misinformation and false claims circulating online.”