The Federal Government has warned 15 states to urgently update their Ebola response plans as Nigeria intensifies efforts to contain an imported case of the disease confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory, directing hospitals nationwide to prepare isolation beds and strengthen infection prevention measures to protect patients and healthcare workers.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, gave the directive in Abuja, saying the government was working with state authorities and public health agencies to prevent further infections.
He disclosed that 21 states had already updated their preparedness plans, while the remaining states were being urged to accelerate their preparations.
Pate said the national response was being coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, with support from the World Health Organisation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
He urged public and private healthcare facilities to improve surveillance, promptly report suspected cases and ensure that frontline workers were adequately trained and protected.
“We have notified all our hospitals to make room for bed capacity, isolation, and prepare their health workers in terms of infection prevention in these cases, because health workers are on the front lines,” the minister said.
He stressed that the immediate priority was to prevent the infection from spreading beyond the confirmed case and developing into community transmission. Although he urged Nigerians to remain calm, he emphasised the need for vigilance, early detection and compliance with public health guidance.
According to Pate, the government has activated its incident management system and is working with the Federal Capital Territory authorities and state governments to ensure that suspected cases can be identified, isolated and managed promptly.
He also called on private hospitals to strengthen their reporting systems, noting that the infected woman had sought treatment at a private healthcare facility before the infection was confirmed. He urged private practitioners to contact public health authorities when they encounter suspected cases rather than manage them without notifying the relevant agencies.
The minister disclosed that additional funding had been provided to the NCDC to strengthen the response, while the government had invited genomics expert Professor Christian Happi of Redeemer’s University, Ede, to support investigations into the virus.
Genomic sequencing is expected to improve understanding of the pathogen and provide evidence to guide containment measures.
The outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which differs from the Zaire ebolavirus responsible for the major West African outbreak between 2014 and 2016.
Addressing the National Economic Council at its 161st meeting, chaired virtually by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Pate reassured members that Nigeria had the institutions and experience required to manage the situation.
He identified laboratory testing, surveillance at points of entry, logistics, personal protective equipment and effective communication as essential components of the response.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has directed government media and public enlightenment agencies to intensify Ebola awareness campaigns across the country.
The agencies include the National Orientation Agency, Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria and News Agency of Nigeria. They are expected to work with health authorities to disseminate verified information and prevention guidance in Nigerian languages.
Idris urged Nigerians to avoid spreading misinformation and report suspected cases through the NCDC’s toll-free, 24-hour emergency line on 6232.
Pate advised people experiencing symptoms such as fever, headaches and muscle aches, particularly those with relevant travel histories or possible exposure, to isolate themselves and promptly contact public health authorities.
