Following the continued spread of the deadly Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda, as well as increasing cross-border movement and international travel, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says there is the possibility of the dreaded disease being imported into the country.
NCDC while raising concerns over the high risk of an Ebola outbreak in Nigeria in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director General, NCDC, Jide Idris, said the Agency’s latest risk assessment indicated a strong possibility of the virus creeping into the country as a result of trans border movements.
The agency however assured that it has intensified preparedness and surveillance measures over fears of the spread of the virus, adding that it had identified states considered vulnerable because of their proximity to international borders, major transport routes, and entry points.
Although no ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria, NCDC disclosed that the National Emergency operations centre has been placed on alert mode in addition to the activation of the incident management system to improve coordination and emergency response in case of outbreak.
According to the agency, Nigeria still possesses vital response capacities built from previous outbreaks, including trained rapid response teams, operational emergency centres, and laboratories equipped to handle viral haemorrhagic diseases.
The Agency further pointed out that laboratories in states with international entry points had been placed on standby, while public awareness and misinformation management campaigns has been strengthened to combat false claims surrounding the disease.
