LAGOS — The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has intensified nationwide surveillance and emergency preparedness measures following renewed Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a confirmed imported case in Uganda, raising fresh concerns over possible cross-border spread in the region.
Although no Ebola case has been recorded in Nigeria, the health agency said it was maintaining heightened vigilance due to increased population movement within West and Central Africa and the attendant risk of importation.
In a public health advisory signed by its Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, the NCDC said it was closely tracking developments in affected countries while strengthening coordination with Port Health Services and other response stakeholders to ensure early detection and rapid containment should any case emerge locally.
Idris said response activities were ongoing in affected countries and assured that Nigeria’s public health system remained on alert, with reinforced surveillance mechanisms for Ebola and other epidemic-prone diseases.
He added that event-based surveillance had been intensified in collaboration with state health authorities to improve early warning capacity across the country.
According to him, preparedness efforts also include enhanced laboratory and diagnostic readiness, improved infection prevention and control measures in health facilities, expanded community engagement, and strengthened public risk communication to counter misinformation and panic.
He urged healthcare workers nationwide to maintain a high index of suspicion, particularly when treating patients presenting with symptoms consistent with Ebola and a history of travel or contact linked to affected areas. Medical personnel were also advised to strictly adhere to infection prevention protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment, early isolation of suspected cases, and prompt reporting through established surveillance channels.
Idris cautioned against panic and misinformation, stressing that Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola.
He also advised members of the public to observe regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with bodily fluids of sick persons, and refrain from handling dead animals or bushmeat from unknown sources.
The advisory comes amid heightened global concern after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the Ebola outbreak linked to the Bundibugyo virus in parts of the DRC and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).
The declaration, issued on May 16 by WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus under the International Health Regulations (2005), followed reports of rising infections, deaths, and evidence of cross-border transmission.
WHO data indicates eight laboratory-confirmed cases, 246 suspected infections, and 80 suspected deaths in Ituri Province, eastern DRC, particularly in Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu, where clusters of unexplained community deaths have been reported.
In Uganda, two confirmed cases, including one fatality, were recorded in Kampala within 24 hours, both linked to recent travel from the DRC.
Health authorities have expressed concern over the Bundibugyo strain, for which there are currently no approved vaccines or targeted treatments, heightening the risk profile of the outbreak.
Nigeria, which successfully contained the 2014 Ebola outbreak through swift contact tracing and isolation measures, has once again activated its preparedness framework, with officials stressing the importance of early detection in preventing any resurgence within the country.