NCDC: Nigeria faces high Ebola threat from cross-border movement, international travel
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of an Ebola outbreak due to increased cross-border movement and international travel amid ongoing cases 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 response measures to guard against a possible outbreak.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Jide Idris, director-general of the NCDC, said the agency’s latest risk assessment showed that the likelihood of the disease being imported into Nigeria remains high.
According to the NCDC, factors contributing to the risk include the continued spread of Ebola in the DRC and Uganda, frequent international travel, population movement, uncertainty surrounding the scale of the outbreak, and the possibility of delayed detection because Ebola symptoms can resemble those of malaria and Lassa fever.
The agency said several states have been identified as vulnerable due to their proximity to international borders, busy transport routes and points of entry into the country.
It noted that health authorities in the DRC and Uganda are already carrying out response activities such as surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention, laboratory testing and public sensitisation campaigns.
The NCDC also confirmed that Nigeria’s national emergency operations centre (EOC) has been placed on alert mode, while the incident management system has been activated to improve coordination in case of an outbreak.
The agency said Nigeria still retains critical capacities developed during previous outbreaks, including trained rapid response teams, emergency operations centres and laboratories equipped to handle viral haemorrhagic diseases.
“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 said.
The NCDC added that epidemiologists and rapid response teams remain on standby for immediate deployment if needed.
It further stated that laboratories in states with international entry points are on alert, while efforts are ongoing to strengthen sample collection and transportation systems for quick diagnosis of suspected cases.
The agency said it has also intensified public awareness campaigns to combat misinformation and false claims about Ebola.
According to the NCDC, it is working with media organisations, healthcare professionals, community leaders and digital platforms to promote accurate information and responsible public discourse.
The agency added that it has produced and distributed materials addressing common myths and facts about Ebola to counter misleading narratives circulating online.
