The Federal Government is expanding its Ebola preparedness measures, including plans to identify and equip treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry, as the number of identified contacts linked to Nigeria’s confirmed case rises to 53.
The measures also include strengthening isolation facilities, improving surveillance at international entry points and providing financial support to people placed under isolation or quarantine.
According to the latest Ebola situation report issued on Sunday, the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital has undergone a needs assessment and optimisation exercise to strengthen its readiness as an isolation and treatment centre. An infection prevention and control assessment is also planned for Karu General Hospital in Abuja to determine its capacity to handle a possible increase in isolation requirements.
The report identified the establishment and improvement of treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as a priority. Authorities are also working to establish referral arrangements to ensure that suspected Ebola cases can be transferred promptly from the point of detection to appropriate treatment facilities.
The preparations come as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) intensifies contact tracing and other response activities following the confirmation of an Ebola Virus Disease case in the Federal Capital Territory.
NCDC Approves N100,000 Weekly Support
In a related development, the NCDC has approved a weekly payment of N100,000 per person to support individuals placed under isolation or quarantine, following complaints about the financial burden of complying with public health monitoring arrangements.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed the intervention during a press briefing on Sunday, explaining that some contacts had raised concerns about the cost of feeding, accommodation and providing for their families while under monitoring.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” Idris said.
He added, “We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”
According to the NCDC chief, the payment was not part of the original response plan but became necessary because of the emergency.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
Idris stressed that supporting people affected by public health restrictions should not be treated as the responsibility of the Federal Capital Territory alone. He said other states would also need to provide adequate resources if similar situations arose within their jurisdictions.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.
He urged state governments to make the necessary financial and logistical arrangements to support contact tracing, surveillance, isolation and other emergency response activities.
Contact Tracing Expands to 53 People
The situation report stated that 53 contacts linked to the confirmed case had been identified, listed and categorised, with monitoring and follow-up continuing.
The figure represents an increase from the initial 44 contacts identified after the case was reported in the FCT.
Idris explained that 44 of the 53 primary contacts were associated with the health facility where the patient received treatment. The remaining nine included household members and people who attended to her during an earlier visit to an emergency room.
Health authorities are also working to identify secondary contacts to establish whether any of the people already under monitoring may have exposed others.
“For each person, we are going to ask questions. We have to establish who they have been in contact with. If we can identify those people, they will also be monitored,” Idris said.
The agency plans to classify contacts according to their level of exposure and conduct daily follow-up. Anyone who develops symptoms will be assessed promptly.
Idris disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, although monitoring and surveillance activities were continuing.
The NCDC has also revised its case definition for Ebola to help healthcare workers and surveillance teams identify suspected infections. The criteria include specified symptoms accompanied by relevant travel or exposure history, unexplained bleeding, or symptoms developing after contact with a confirmed or probable case.
The agency has urged communities to report unexplained deaths and suspected Ebola symptoms, particularly where there may have been contact with an infected person.
Genomic Sequencing Completed
The situation report confirmed that genomic sequencing of the virus from the confirmed case had been completed by the NCDC National Reference Laboratory and the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases.
The next steps include sharing the sequencing report, continuing diagnostic testing and maintaining laboratory records. The agency also plans to distribute additional laboratory reagents and supplies across the national laboratory network to support Ebola testing.
Laboratory capacity remains important to the response because suspected infections require timely testing to guide isolation, treatment and other public health decisions.
The government is also strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of transmission among health workers, patients and other people who may encounter suspected cases.
According to the report, assessments have been conducted in health facilities to identify gaps in infection prevention and control. The facility managing the confirmed patient has also been engaged on the relevant guidelines and standard operating procedures.
The next phase includes implementing an infection prevention and control ring strategy across designated perimeters to strengthen screening and isolation measures.
Idris acknowledged the need to improve infection prevention and control expertise at state and local levels, saying the NCDC was continuing to train healthcare workers to strengthen their ability to respond to infectious disease emergencies.
“When our infection prevention and control teams visit a facility, they assess the systems in place and identify areas that need to be corrected,” he said.
He added, “Capabilities and competencies at the subnational level are not as high as they should be. We are responsible for building those capabilities. That is why training is one of our most important priorities.”
More Supplies and Port Surveillance
The government is increasing the availability of personal protective equipment and other essential supplies as part of its preparations for a possible expansion of the response.
The report said 500 donated laboratory testing kits had been added to the national stockpile, while additional protective equipment and essential commodities would be positioned in states considered to be at higher risk.
Surveillance at airports and other designated ports of entry is also being strengthened. Port Health Services has conducted an investigation with aviation stakeholders, while enhanced monitoring at entry points is expected to continue.
Authorities are also working to improve referral arrangements for suspected cases and identify facilities capable of managing patients outside the FCT.
Public communication and community engagement form another part of the response. The NCDC said it had issued preventive health advisories and monitored public discussions to identify misinformation and address concerns.
The agency called for continued communication with communities and urged Nigerians to rely on official information rather than circulate unverified reports.
Patient’s Travel History Under Investigation
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria after visiting Uganda, following a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to information previously provided by health authorities.
The woman reportedly developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus on October 20.
The World Health Organisation has said investigations are continuing to establish the likely source of the infection.
The identification of the virus strain has increased the importance of laboratory investigation, regional surveillance and coordination among public health authorities. However, the source and possible transmission pathway of the infection must be established through further investigation.
Nigeria has previous experience responding to Ebola. During the 2014 outbreak, the country used case detection, isolation, contact tracing and coordinated public health measures to contain transmission.
The current response includes measures to improve treatment and isolation capacity, strengthen laboratory services and ensure that states are prepared to manage suspected infections if additional cases are identified.
The NCDC has urged Nigerians to remain calm, practise regular hand hygiene and avoid direct contact with the blood and other body fluids of people suspected of having Ebola, as well as potentially contaminated materials.
The agency has also warned against stigmatising people placed under monitoring, stressing that cooperation with health officials is essential to effective contact tracing and the prevention of further transmission.
