Nigeria Intensifies Ebola Preparedness, Strengthens Border Surveillance

Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has intensified its preparedness measures against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), although no confirmed cases have been reported within the country. Dr. Olajide Idris, Director-General of the NCDC, announced these measures during a meeting in Abuja.

The agency has activated surveillance systems, bolstered coordination with relevant bodies, and assessed treatment and laboratory infrastructure to improve national readiness. Idris noted that response activities began immediately after the outbreak was reported, even before the Presidential Ebola Task Force was formally reconstituted and met.

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The task force has only met once, but we did not wait for its reconstitution because we started working immediately after the outbreak was reported.

NCDC is collaborating with Port Health Services, aviation authorities, immigration, and customs to strengthen surveillance at entry points, with an initial focus on five states with international airports to enhance traveler screening. Health declaration forms are now required for arriving passengers, and individuals identified as "persons of interest" are documented and monitored, with their destination states notified for follow-up.

Despite implementation challenges, Idris expressed confidence in the system's improvement. However, he raised concerns about the poor condition of several health facilities, describing them as dilapidated and in need of urgent rehabilitation. Some molecular laboratories also face operational issues, including unreliable electricity, leading to reagent wastage. While rehabilitation efforts have begun in some states, funding constraints have interrupted the process. NCDC is finalizing a national Ebola contingency plan and upgrading laboratories to boost diagnostic capacity, distributing standard operating procedures and providing training on case management.

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We found that most of the facilities are in a horrible, dilapidated state. Some have been abandoned and require urgent rehabilitation.