The Federal Government has reassured Nigerians that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country despite recent outbreaks reported in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a statement, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, said Nigeria is closely monitoring the situation through the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Port Health Services and other relevant agencies in collaboration with the World Health Organization.
According to the Minister, the government has activated enhanced preparedness measures to strengthen surveillance, early detection and rapid response systems across the country.
He said measures already in place include improved nationwide surveillance, strengthened screening and health declaration procedures at points of entry, increased coordination with state ministries of health, improved laboratory readiness and reinforced infection prevention protocols in health facilities.
Professor Pate also disclosed that public awareness and community engagement campaigns had been intensified to keep Nigerians informed and prevent the spread of misinformation.
He urged Nigerians to remain calm, maintain proper hygiene practices and promptly report any unusual illness to the nearest health facility, while advising healthcare workers to remain vigilant and strictly adhere to infection prevention and control measures.
Reporting by Annabel Nwachukwu