The Federal Government has assured Nigerians of its preparedness to contain the Ebola virus disease outbreak, saying health authorities and relevant agencies have activated response measures to prevent further spread.
The Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats, and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the assurance after the task force’s emergency meeting at the State House on Wednesday.
Gbajabiamila said the task force had been working behind the scenes since its inauguration in June, adding that the preparedness measures helped authorities quickly identify the index case reported on Tuesday.
Surveillance Measures Enabled Early Detection
“It’s very important to note this. Since the issue of Ebola came up in June, there have been about 44, 000 flights in and out of Nigeria. So, it’s because of what the Ministry of Health, the task force and all the agencies have been doing. All hands have been on deck.
“The passenger with the disease showed no symptoms, which came four days after the woman got into Abuja, and it was the identification process and the protocols that were put in place that enabled the quick identification. That also speaks to the country’s capacity and ability to deal with this disease as best as we can,” he said.
Gbajabiamila assured Nigerians that the task force would strengthen existing protocols where necessary and ensure stricter enforcement of public health measures.
“The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people.”
He appealed to Nigerians to comply with public health directives in the interest of collective safety.
FG Activates Contact Tracing and Hospital Response
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, said Nigeria had competent health authorities and established surveillance systems to respond to the outbreak.
He listed private hospital operators, relevant government agencies, Immigration, Aviation, the Interior Ministry and subnational authorities among those involved in the response.
“We have been conducting contact tracing diligently and isolating those contacts of the index imported case in this country. We will continue to do that, and we want to reassure Nigerians that the federal government, alongside its technical partners, the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and our own Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have activated the incident management system across the various pillars.
“They are working day and night diligently, and our hospital capabilities are also activated, such that we can aim to contain this case, as has been the case in other countries, but we will not relent. Our population should respect public health directives.”
Pate added that most states had adequate response plans and that the government was mobilising available resources to contain the outbreak.
“Most of our states have adequate response plans. We have the resources, and we’re mobilising those capabilities. And we’re also confident that if we continue on this path, we should be able to dent this outbreak.”
Minister Warns Against Misinformation
The health minister also cautioned Nigerians against spreading unverified information that could trigger unnecessary fear and panic.
“The key also for the population is to avoid spreading misinformation or baseless rumours, which can cause unnecessary panic. The Task Force leadership has met. WHO and AfricaCDC are working closely with the team.
“In addition to our exceptional public health physicians who had successfully tamed this virus in 2014, and had contributed to other countries, we are confident that if we continue in this direction, we will emerge out of this crisis in a much stronger place,” Pate assured.
The government reiterated the importance of public cooperation and compliance with health advisories as authorities continue surveillance, contact tracing and other containment measures.
Officials Attend Emergency Meeting
Other members of the task force at the meeting included the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Kemi Nandap; Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Bunmi Kuku; FAAN General Manager, Adamu Adamu; WHO Representative, Pavel Ursu; and Special Regional Representative to the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Aliko Ahmed.
Also present were the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration and Operations and Secretary of the Task Force, Oyinade Nathan-Marsh; Public Health Executive, Niniola Williams; FCT Mandate Secretary for Health and Environment, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe; and Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee at the State House Medical Centre, Dr. Victoria Ogala.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Olajumoke Oduwole; Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Professor Akin Abayomi; and Director of Operations, Licensing and Training Standards at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Donald Spiff, participated in the meeting virtually.
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