The Federal Government is strengthening Nigeria’s Ebola response measures as health authorities monitor 53 primary contacts linked to the country’s confirmed case. The government plans to improve treatment facilities, expand surveillance and support people placed in isolation or quarantine.
According to an Ebola situation report obtained by our correspondent on Sunday, authorities are establishing referral systems for suspected cases. They are also strengthening surveillance at ports of entry and improving healthcare facilities’ capacity to manage possible infections.
The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital has undergone a needs assessment to improve its isolation and treatment capacity. Meanwhile, authorities planned an infection prevention and control assessment at Karu General Hospital in Abuja. The assessment would determine whether the facility could handle a possible increase in isolation needs.
As part of Nigeria’s Ebola response measures, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency payment of ₦100,000 per person weekly for people placed in isolation or quarantine. The intervention followed complaints about the cost of feeding, accommodation and supporting family members.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, announced the payment during a press briefing on Sunday. He said the support would help identified contacts comply with public health monitoring requirements without facing additional financial hardship.
Idris explained that the payment was not part of the original response plan. However, the agency introduced it after some contacts raised concerns about the financial burden of isolation and quarantine.
He also urged states to prepare adequate funding and logistics for public health emergencies. According to him, the Federal Capital Territory should not carry the responsibility alone if similar emergencies occur in other states.
FG Activates National Ebola Response System
The situation report stated that authorities had activated the national incident management system. Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, oversees the coordination, while officials implement priority activities across response areas.
The government is also working to strengthen referral mechanisms for suspected cases. These measures will help health workers identify, assess and transfer patients to appropriate facilities.
NCDC Tracks 53 Primary Contacts
Idris disclosed that 44 of the 53 primary contacts were linked to the health facility where the patient received treatment. The remaining nine included household members and people who attended to her during an earlier emergency room visit.
The NCDC is also tracing secondary contacts to determine whether any identified individuals may have exposed others to the virus.
“For each person, we are going to ask questions. We have to establish who they have been in contact with. If we can identify those people, they will also be monitored,” Idris said.
The agency has revised its Ebola case definition to guide health workers, surveillance teams and other stakeholders in identifying suspected infections.
Under the revised criteria, suspected cases may include people with sudden fever and specified symptoms who have relevant travel or epidemiological links. People with unexplained bleeding may also qualify. Those who develop symptoms after contact with a confirmed or probable case may require assessment.
Government Strengthens Laboratory
CapacityThe NCDC plans to distribute additional laboratory reagents and supplies across the national laboratory network. These materials will support testing for Ebola virus disease.
Laboratory capacity remains essential to the response. Health authorities must investigate suspected cases promptly and confirm infections through appropriate testing. The results will guide treatment and public health decisions.
The government is also strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities. These measures aim to protect health workers, patients and others from possible exposure.
The report stated that authorities had assessed infection prevention and control capacity across states and health facilities. Officials had also engaged the facility managing the patient on appropriate guidelines and standard operating procedures.
The next phase will involve an infection prevention and control (IPC) ring strategy across designated perimeters. The strategy aims to strengthen screening and isolation measures around relevant areas.The report specifically identified plans to implement the “IPC ring strategy across concentric perimeters to strengthen screening and isolation measures.
”The NCDC is also improving healthcare workers’ capacity through training and sensitisation. The programme will focus on facilities that may need to detect, stabilise or refer suspected Ebola cases.
These measures form part of the government’s wider efforts to strengthen surveillance, improve emergency preparedness and limit the potential spread of the disease.
