Federal Government has intensified disease surveillance and contact tracing following the confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid spreading unverified information.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, gave the assurance on Wednesday, October 21, while addressing journalists after a meeting with the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Pate said the government was collaborating with Uganda and relevant health authorities to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
He disclosed that health officials had identified 44 close contacts of the infected patient and commenced contact tracing as part of efforts to prevent the virus from spreading within the country.
The confirmed case involves a woman who recently travelled to Nigeria and was diagnosed after receiving treatment at a private hospital in Abuja. She is currently in isolation and receiving medical care.
The minister urged Nigerians to obtain information from credible sources, including the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, rather than circulate rumours capable of causing unnecessary panic.
He also expressed confidence in Nigeria’s public health institutions, citing the country’s successful containment of an Ebola outbreak in 2014.
According to him, the NCDC’s incident management system has been activated, while the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness is coordinating response efforts with relevant agencies.
The Federal Government has also called on healthcare facilities to strengthen infection prevention measures, promptly identify suspected cases and report them to public health authorities.
Meanwhile, health officials have continued surveillance and monitoring of identified contacts as authorities work to prevent further transmission.
The government has urged members of the public to cooperate with health authorities and follow verified public health advice as containment efforts continue.
