The public health agency said it was intensifying surveillance and preparedness efforts following fresh outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a recently confirmed infection in Uganda.
Amid growing concerns over the resurgence of Ebola cases in parts of Africa, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reassured Nigerians that no case of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease has been detected in the country.
The public health agency said it was intensifying surveillance and preparedness efforts following fresh outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a recently confirmed infection in Uganda.
In a public health advisory released, the Director-General of the NCDC, Jide Idris, stated that, “Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease.”
The agency noted that although Nigeria remains free of the disease, authorities are maintaining heightened vigilance in view of the developments across the region.
According to the advisory, the NCDC is collaborating with relevant agencies, including the Port Health Service under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, to strengthen monitoring and emergency response measures at points of entry and within the healthcare system.
The statement said the agency and its partners are “closely monitoring the situation and working with relevant stakeholders, including the Port Health Service (Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare), to ensure continued vigilance and preparedness within the public health system.”
The centre urged members of the public not to panic or spread misinformation, while encouraging adherence to preventive measures such as regular handwashing and avoiding direct contact with bodily fluids of infected persons.
It also advised healthcare workers nationwide to remain alert for possible symptoms associated with the disease, especially among individuals with relevant travel history or exposure risks.
“Healthcare workers are advised to maintain a high index of suspicion for EVD in patients presenting with compatible symptoms and relevant travel or exposure history,” the advisory added.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization has declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern after the virus reportedly killed more than 80 people.
Anxiety over the spread of the disease deepened after laboratory tests confirmed a case in Goma, a major eastern Congolese city controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on Saturday that 88 deaths and 336 suspected Ebola cases had been recorded so far.
Professor Jean-Jacques Muyembe, director of the Congolese National Institute for Biomedical Research, told AFP that the confirmed case in Goma involved the wife of a man who had died from Ebola in Bunia.
“A positive case in Goma has been confirmed by tests carried out by the laboratory. It involves the wife of a man who died of Ebola in Bunia, who travelled to Goma after her husband’s death whilst already infected,” Muyembe said.
Reacting to the outbreak, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the situation required urgent international attention.
“I determine that the epidemic constitutes a public health emergency of international concern,” Ghebreyesus posted on X, while clarifying that the outbreak “does not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency” under existing international health regulations.
Despite rising concerns across the continent, Nigerian health authorities insisted the country’s disease surveillance system remains active and capable of responding swiftly to any suspected case, urging citizens to stay informed through official channels and continue observing basic public health precautions.
Source: Sahara Reporters
