Ebola Outbreak: FG urges Nigerians to step up vigilance

The Federal Government has called on health care providers and the general public to be vigilant and intensify awareness on the symptoms of haemorrhagic fevers, following the outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an Ebola outbreak in the DRC on Friday, saying that at least one person had been confirmed dead due to the virus in the country’s north-east.

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole,who made the call in a statement weekend, said the federal government in response to the WHO announcement, had directed health officials at the ports to step up inspection activities and to report any sick person or suspects,adding that such sick persons are to be referred to the chief epidemiologist in the state where there are present and relevant tests conducted.

Adewole noted that health care providers and the general public must immediately report any sign of illness to public health officials

According to him, the symptoms to look out for include; fever, fatigue, weakness dizziness and muscle aches. “Patients with more severe cases show bleeding under the skin, internal organs or even from bodily orifices like mouth, ears, and the ears”, he added

He urged Nigerians not to panic as the Nigeria Center for Disease Control(NCDC) is on ground and equipped to secure the health of citizens.

He said NCDC has for a while now, been strengthening states capacities to detect, manage and respond to hemorrhagic fevers including Lassa fever.
He called on states to begin social mobilization and media awareness efforts via TV, radio, print and social media while also charging state health ministries to strengthen their supervision services and escalate any incident appropriately.

Adewole further directed all Nigerian health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion by screening all fevers for Ebola and other hemorrhagic fevers.

The minister also encouraged members of the public to observe a high level of personal hygiene including regular hand washing with soap and to also report all cases of fever to the nearest health facility.

Nigeria was declared free of Ebola virus by the WHO in October 2014 and the country praised for its handling of the disease which caused about 4,500 deaths across‎ West Africa.