FG debunks re-emergence of Ebola in Nigeria
By Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
The federal government has described as false, the message circulating in the social media purporting a positive case of the Ebola virus in the country.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Abdullaziz Abdullahi, who made the denial of the presence of the virus in Nigeria, urged members of the public to disregard the news, advising them to discourage the circulation of any unverified information capable of causing harm and panic among citizens.
He assured that since the reports of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, heightened surveillance have been on-going at the various entry points into the nation by officials of the port health services division of the ministry to prevent the importation of the virus into Nigeria.
“To this effect, every sick passenger has been properly screened and I can say categorically, that none of the patients screened has tested positive for Ebola or any deadly disease,’’ he assured.
The permanent secretary noted that in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, a recent preliminary risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola preparedness team, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) indicated that the overall risk of importation of the virus into Nigeria from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda is low.
Abdullahi however, added that the ministry is not resting on its oars in view of the trading activities of Nigerians, declaring that the federal government remains committed and is working closely with the WHO, state ministries of health, global and local partners, and all other stakeholders to protect the health of all Nigerians.
‘’However, necessary protocols are being followed in line with international Health Regulations, ’he added.
