NCDC Activates Ebola Surveillance Nationwide, Assures Nigerians of Preparedness

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) says it has intensified nationwide preparedness measures against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), activating surveillance systems, strengthening border monitoring and assessing critical health infrastructure, even as it confirmed that no case of the disease has been recorded in the country.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Olajide Idris, disclosed this on Friday during the 15th Expanded Ministerial Oversight Committee (MOC) Meeting in Abuja, where he outlined the agency's ongoing efforts to protect the country from a possible importation of the virus.

According to Idris, the agency moved swiftly into action immediately reports of an outbreak emerged elsewhere, even before the recently reconstituted Presidential Ebola Task Force held its inaugural meeting.

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

As part of the preparedness strategy, the NCDC has intensified collaboration with the Port Health Services, aviation authorities, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigeria Customs Service to strengthen disease surveillance at Nigeria's borders and entry points.

The agency said its immediate focus is on five states hosting international airports, where enhanced screening procedures have been introduced to identify potential risks among incoming travellers.

Dr. Idris explained that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has already implemented entry protocols requiring travellers arriving in Nigeria to complete health declaration forms before arrival.

He said individuals identified as persons of interest are being documented, monitored and reported to relevant state authorities for further follow-up and surveillance.

While acknowledging some implementation challenges, Idris expressed confidence that the system would become more effective as operational gaps are addressed.

The NCDC boss also revealed that the agency has carried out extensive assessments of molecular laboratories and isolation centres established during the COVID-19 pandemic to determine their suitability for Ebola response operations.

According to him, the Federal Government has approved an emergency allocation of N785.3 million to support Ebola preparedness activities nationwide, while State Ebola Readiness Plans have already been developed and are at advanced stages of implementation.

However, Idris expressed concern over the condition of several health facilities assessed during the exercise.

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

He further disclosed that some molecular laboratories have suffered operational setbacks due to unreliable power supply, leading to the loss of valuable reagents and laboratory consumables.

Although rehabilitation efforts had commenced in some locations, funding limitations interrupted parts of the programme, he added.

To strengthen the country's diagnostic capacity, the NCDC is currently finalising a national Ebola contingency plan and upgrading selected laboratories across the country.

The agency has also distributed standard operating procedures to states and commenced training programmes for health personnel on Ebola case detection, management and response.

Beyond Ebola preparedness, Idris provided updates on the country's cholera response, noting that case fatality rates have dropped below one per cent in most affected states after excluding data from Borno State.

He said investigations revealed that the higher mortality rate recorded in Borno was linked largely to poor access to clean water, inadequate sanitation facilities and widespread open defecation.

The NCDC also discovered that some cholera patients were initially treated as cases of acute watery diarrhoea, resulting in delays in administering the appropriate treatment.

According to him, additional response teams have since been deployed to the state to strengthen outbreak control efforts and improve patient outcomes.

Looking ahead to the third quarter of 2026, Idris said the agency plans to support the procurement of critical medical commodities for states with high disease burdens ahead of the seasonal outbreak period.

He also announced plans to expand orientation and preparedness training programmes to additional geopolitical zones across the country.

The NCDC Director-General called on state governments to prioritise outbreak preparedness by implementing the Special State Outbreak Investigation and Response Funds and incorporating emergency response funding into their annual health budgets.

He stressed that sustained investments in public health preparedness remain essential to protecting Nigeria against emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Despite the heightened preparedness activities, the NCDC reassured Nigerians that there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in the country, urging citizens to remain calm while adhering to public health advisories.