Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has asked states to get their facilities ready in the event of a fresh Ebola disease outbreak in the country.
It said its assessment estimated the risk of Ebola importation into Nigeria as high due to the ongoing transmission in the DRC and Uganda, international travel, population movement, and uncertainty regarding the full magnitude of the outbreak.
It also said that the alert became necessary due to the potential for delayed recognition because symptoms may overlap with endemic diseases such as malaria and Lassa fever.
A statement by the Communication Department of the Centre said the states have been advised to activate their surveillance and early detection management protocols, referral pathways, ambulance referral and patient transport systems, and availability of essential supplies for Ebola response.
In addition, the Centre said that states have been advised to incorporate Ebola preparedness into ongoing readiness activities, including detection, reporting, and response activities.
According to NCDC, states are expected to conduct refresher sensitisation for healthcare workers on critical IPC arrangements, triage systems, and enhanced monitoring of alerts, rumours, and unusual public health events to support early Case Management and treatment readiness.
NCDC which had earlier assured Nigerians that enhanced surveillance activities are ongoing at points of entry and border communities nationwide, said surveillance rapid respond teams are on steady alert.
The centre further said it has disseminated Ebola IPC readiness tools and checklists to support preparedness activities in states.
NCDC said it is working with State Epidemiologists, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs), in carrying out assessments of healthcare facilities across the country.
“We are also working on ensuring timely detection and reporting of suspected cases, designation of isolation and treatment centres, assessment of bed capacity, staffing, logistics, clinical identification of suspected Viral Haemorrhagic Fever cases is also ongoing.
“NCDC and partners are mapping and preparing for prepositioning of critical response commodities, including PPEs, IPC supplies, body bags, laboratory consumables, and emergency medical supplies in designation of isolation and treatment centres, assessment of bed capacity, staffing, logistics, clinical strategic locations”.
