Anambra deploys nurses to airport, activates Ebola hotlines

The Anambra State Government has deployed nurses to Chinua Achebe International and Cargo Airport and activated emergency hotlines to strengthen surveillance and response to suspected Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases.

The Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Awka.

He assured residents that the government was strengthening measures to prevent the virus from entering the state.

Mr Obidike urged residents to report suspected cases through the emergency hotlines.

He said the ministry was collaborating with the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, Médecins Sans Frontières, and the Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria and other partners.

According to him, the partnership will enhance surveillance, promote early detection and coordinate responses to suspected cases.

“The state has intensified surveillance at entry points, including the airport and border communities.

“We have intensified public awareness campaigns and refresher training for healthcare workers.

The commissioner cautioned residents against unproven preventive practices, including drinking or bathing with salt water, stressing that such measures could not prevent Ebola infection.

He explained that Ebola could spread through direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of an infected person experiencing symptoms, contaminated materials and certain infected animals.

Mr Obidike advised residents experiencing symptoms such as fever, headache, weakness, muscle pain and joint pain, particularly after possible exposure, to seek prompt medical attention.

He noted that the symptoms could resemble those of malaria and other illnesses, making early medical assessment essential.

The commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant, avoid spreading unverified information and promptly report suspected cases through the designated emergency hotlines.

Nigeria’s imported Ebola case

Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola on Tuesday, involving a woman who recently arrived in the country on an international flight from Uganda.

The patient is receiving treatment in isolation at a private hospital in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Jean Kaseya, subsequently disclosed that the patient is the wife of a diplomat who travelled to Uganda’s capital, Kampala, for a holiday.

Mr Kaseya said the woman, originally from Uganda but resident in Abuja, developed symptoms three days after returning to Nigeria on 3 October.

As reported by PREMIUM TIMES, contact tracing commenced after the confirmation, with 44 close contacts initially identified, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.

The government has urged health facilities to remain alert, promptly identify and isolate suspected cases, observe infection prevention and control measures, and report suspected infections to public health authorities.

The confirmation followed months of heightened surveillance after Ebola outbreaks were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.

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PREMIUM TIMES reported in May that the federal government had identified 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as facing high or moderate risks of Ebola importation following a risk assessment prompted by the outbreaks.

In September, PREMIUM TIMES also reported that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention had raised the country’s preparedness level and strengthened surveillance measures.

The agency said travellers arriving from countries with active Ebola transmission could be required to complete health declaration forms to support monitoring and follow-up.