Africa moves to curb spread of Ebola
FEARING the spread of Ebola from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Nigeria has put health authorities at ports and airports on high alert.
They have been told to step up health inspections and report any sick people to local epidemiologists so that tests can be conducted immediately.
The action announced by Health Minister Isaac Adewole aims to stem the spread of the disease within Nigeria and elsewhere. Thousands of passengers in transit fly in and out of the country’s airports.
Abuja’s move came as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) activated an emergency operational centre to monitor the Ebola outbreak in the DRC, the AU said.
Africa CDC director Dr John Nkengasong said: “A team of experts is on standby for deployment to respond to the emergency based on the needs on the ground, as we work on the modalities with the government authorities in the DRC and co-ordinate with the WHO (World Health Organisation) and partners.”
Eleven suspected Ebola cases have been reported by DRC health authorities in the Likati health zone in northern Bas Uele, near the border with the Central Africa Republic.
Last week, the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa confirmed one positive case among five samples collected.
A 39-year-old man, who presented early symptoms on April 22, died on arrival at a health facility.
The WHO has reported three deaths from the latest outbreak so far.
Adewole called on Nigerian health-care providers and the public to look out for the symptoms of Ebola, which include an haemorrhagic fever, and report such signs of illness.
However, he urged Nigerians not to panic, emphasising that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control was ready and equipped to secure the health of citizens.
Nkengasong said health officials in the DRC were continuing to investigate possible Ebola cases by tracking people who may have had contact with known victims.
In 2014, Ebola spread through Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea, killing as many as 4 500 in West Africa. The countries at the centre of this epidemic have all been Ebola-free since at least June last year.
In Nigeria, the Ebola virus was introduced by a travelling Liberian businessman, Patrick Sawyer, in July 2014. Eight medical personnel who had contact with him died.
A Nigerian airports authority spokesperson said sanitisers and thermal scanners that measure the temperature of passengers had been installed at arrivals halls.