Ebola: South-East governments scale up surveillance, containment measures
by Adenle Ahmed Abiola · The Eagle OnlineFollowing the confirmation of an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus in Abuja, state governments across Nigeria’s South-East region have rapidly scaled up containment and emergency preparedness measures.
Although no case of Ebola has been confirmed in any state in the zone, authorities said they were strengthening disease surveillance, alerting health workers and border teams, and improving emergency response capacity to contain any potential outbreak.
The measures include heightened monitoring of suspected cases, public health awareness campaigns, infection prevention and control, and preparations to isolate and manage suspected cases.
The Abia State Government said it had begun emergency preparedness measures against a possible Ebola outbreak, including plans to equip isolation facilities, procure personal protective equipment and intensify disease surveillance.
The Permanent Secretary of the Abia State Ministry of Health, Dr Blossom Uma-Kalu, who disclosed this in an interview with Vanguard, assured residents that no case of Ebola had been recorded in the state.
Uma-Kalu said the ministry had initiated consultations involving relevant departments and agencies to assess the state’s preparedness and identify gaps requiring urgent intervention.
She, however, said additional funding was needed to procure personal protective equipment, PPE, thermometers, hand sanitisers and other essential supplies.
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According to her, the state was preparing a budget to determine which needs could be met through federal support and which would require state funding.
“We have held meetings following communication from the Federal Ministry of Health about the case in Abuja. Health workers and relevant public health teams have been alerted to maintain a high index of suspicion,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary said the government was also considering an additional isolation facility, while work continued on existing centres.
She disclosed that the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Aba was nearing completion, while the isolation facility at a specialist hospital in Umuahia was undergoing remodelling.
According to her, the state was also assessing a proposed facility that could be adapted for isolation if necessary.
Uma-Kalu explained that establishing isolation centres required trained personnel, adequate funding and appropriate treatment and monitoring facilities, making it impractical to establish such centres in every local government area.
She said the ministry was preparing a public health advisory to educate residents about Ebola, its symptoms and preventive measures.
The advisory, she added, would include designated emergency telephone numbers for reporting suspected cases.
Uma-Kalu urged health workers, particularly those in private hospitals and laboratories, to remain vigilant and pay attention to patients’ travel histories and symptoms that could suggest Ebola infection.
She said public health teams working in communities and at entry points into the state had also been alerted to watch out for possible cases.
The Permanent Secretary advised residents to remain calm but vigilant, avoid unnecessary contact with the blood and other body fluids of suspected cases, and observe appropriate infection-prevention measures.
She cautioned against dismissing suspicious symptoms as ordinary malaria without proper medical assessment.
“People should not be afraid, but they need to be vigilant. Health workers must maintain a high index of suspicion and ensure that cases with symptoms suggestive of Ebola are properly assessed,” she said.
She urged residents to rely on verified public health information rather than panic, adding that the state was taking steps to prepare for any eventuality.
Enugu State Government said it had intensified disease surveillance across its 17 local government areas and reactivated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre following the reported Ebola case in the country.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. George O. Ugwu, who disclosed this in an interview with Vanguard, reassured residents that no case of Ebola Virus Disease had been confirmed in the state.
“Let me begin by reassuring the people of Enugu State that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Enugu State,” he said.
Ugwu said the government was strengthening preparedness in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Port Health Services, airport authorities and other relevant partners.
He noted that Enugu’s position as a major travel and commercial hub, particularly through the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, made heightened surveillance necessary.
According to him, surveillance had been reinforced across the state, while rapid response teams and technical personnel remained on standby to respond to suspected cases.
The commissioner urged public and private health facilities to remain alert, promptly isolate suspected cases in line with established protocols and report them to the appropriate Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) or the state emergency operations centre.
He also advised health workers to maintain strict infection prevention and control measures, including the use of appropriate protective equipment.
Ugwu urged residents to remain calm, practise proper hand hygiene, avoid contact with the body fluids of sick persons and promptly report suspected cases to health authorities.
He cautioned against rumours, misinformation and stigmatisation, advising the public to rely on verified information from the state Ministry of Health, the NCDC and other recognised health authorities.
He assured residents that the government would continue working with relevant agencies to strengthen Ebola preparedness, surveillance and response.
Anambra State Government announced plans to deploy surveillance officers at strategic locations, including the Chinua Achebe International Airport, Umueri, motor parks, banks and other public places to strengthen efforts to prevent the spread of Ebola.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Ben Obidike, who disclosed this while briefing reporters in Awka, said the officers would screen passengers arriving in the state from Abuja, Lagos and other African countries.
He urged residents not to panic, assuring them that the government was taking measures to prevent an outbreak.
Obidike said the state had monitored 40 persons of interest, with 33 completing their monitoring period and being cleared, while seven remained under active follow-up. He said all seven were stable.
According to him, Anambra had developed an Ebola preparedness and operational plan covering surveillance, rapid response, infection prevention and control, laboratory coordination, referral arrangements, risk communication and logistics.
He added that the state’s surveillance network across the 21 local government areas, the airport, motor parks and other public places would be strengthened to ensure early detection and reporting.
The commissioner said state surveillance officers had participated in a two-day online training organised by the NCDC on monitoring persons of interest.
He urged disease surveillance officers, health facilities and community reporting networks to promptly report unusual illnesses or deaths.
He also advised healthcare workers to observe infection-prevention protocols and obtain patients’ travel and exposure histories.
Residents who developed fever or other concerning symptoms after relevant travel or contact with a suspected Ebola patient were advised to contact health authorities and call ahead before visiting a health facility.
Obidike urged the public to practise regular hand hygiene, avoid contact with the blood and body fluids of sick persons, and refrain from handling the bodies of people who died from unexplained illnesses.
He cautioned against spreading rumours or circulating the identities of people under monitoring, stressing that early reporting, public cooperation and trust were essential to containing the disease.
The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Health, Dr Moses Ikenna Ekuma, said there was no confirmed case of Ebola in the state, assuring residents that the government was prepared to respond to any outbreak.
Ekuma said the Ministry of Health had activated precautionary measures, established an equipped isolation centre and trained health workers on infection prevention and control.
He urged residents to avoid contact with bodily fluids, observe proper hygiene, cook bush meat thoroughly and exercise caution during burials where the cause of death was unknown.
The commissioner also advised residents to avoid unnecessary travel and seek prompt medical attention if they developed unusual or severe symptoms.
He attributed the state’s preparedness to Governor Francis Nwifuru’s investment in health facilities and equipment.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Imo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Chioma Egu, were unsuccessful, as neither she nor the ministry’s Permanent Secretary was available when our correspondent visited the ministry.
Calls to the commissioner’s telephone line also went unanswered, while she had yet to respond to a text message sent to her as of the time of filing this report.
Vanguard News.
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