Author: Gist Correspondent

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has dismissed rumours linking the Ebola outbreak to a possible postponement of elections, insisting that Nigeria currently has no confirmed case under its active response monitoring.

The Director-General of the agency, Dr Jide Idris, gave the clarification on Tuesday during a virtual capacity-building workshop for journalists on effective Ebola reporting in Lagos.

Idris warned that misinformation could undermine public health efforts, urging the media to rely on verified information from official sources.

He disclosed that 54 primary contacts linked to a woman whose Ebola infection was confirmed on October 20 remained under daily surveillance.

According to him, three of the contacts developed symptoms last week and were tested, but all returned negative results.

He, however, cautioned that the negative results did not justify ending surveillance, stressing that contact tracing and monitoring must continue until health authorities are satisfied that further transmission has been ruled out.

“The fact that we currently have no confirmed case does not mean we should declare Nigeria Ebola-free. We must continue surveillance and ensure that all contacts are properly monitored,” he said.

The NCDC chief explained that the infected woman, who returned to Abuja from Uganda, was evacuated to Switzerland on October 26 alongside her husband at the request and expense of the Swiss Government.

He said the patient had shown clinical improvement before her departure, adding that the evacuation should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Idris noted that most of the 54 contacts were being quarantined in Abuja, while a few were observing self-quarantine at home.

He added that surveillance efforts also covered the identification of secondary contacts who might have interacted with those under monitoring.

To ease the financial burden of quarantine, the NCDC director-general said the government had approved a weekly support payment of N100,000 for affected contacts.

He said the intervention was intended to address welfare concerns, encourage compliance with public health measures and facilitate cooperation with surveillance teams.

The agency is also engaging the Federal Capital Territory Administration on its responsibilities towards individuals under quarantine.

Idris urged journalists to verify reports before publication, promptly correct false information and protect the identities of patients and contacts to prevent stigmatisation.

He emphasised that Ebola is transmitted through direct contact with the body fluids of an infected person who is sick, rather than through the air.

The NCDC advised anyone experiencing fever with a relevant travel or contact history to call the designated response hotline, 6232, before visiting a healthcare facility.