FG Says Nigeria Working With Uganda to Contain Ebola Spread

The Federal Government says Nigeria is working with Uganda and international health partners to strengthen surveillance and prevent the spread of Ebola virus disease following the confirmation of an imported case in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday, assuring Nigerians that the country’s only confirmed case was being managed through established public health response measures.

Pate urged citizens not to give in to panic or spread unverified information, stressing that cooperation with health authorities was essential to containing the infection.

The confirmed case involves a woman who recently travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and developed symptoms on October 7. She sought treatment at a private hospital in Abuja on October 11, before laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20.

The patient is currently isolated and receiving medical care, while health officials have identified 44 contacts for monitoring. These include healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and individuals who may have travelled with her.

The ministry is collaborating with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the Federal Capital Territory Health Services Secretariat, the World Health Organisation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to coordinate containment efforts.

Authorities are also strengthening surveillance at points of entry, tracing potential contacts and supporting the hospital where the patient initially received treatment to improve infection prevention and control.

The case involves the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which is associated with an ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and has affected other African countries.

Uganda, however, has denied having an active Ebola outbreak, saying that the woman’s travel through the country does not establish where she contracted the infection. Investigations are continuing to determine the likely source of exposure.

The Federal Government has urged anyone contacted by public health officials to provide the requested information and follow medical guidance. Healthcare facilities nationwide have also been instructed to maintain heightened vigilance, promptly isolate suspected cases and report them to the relevant authorities.

Pate recalled Nigeria’s successful containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, saying the country had gained valuable experience in surveillance, contact tracing and emergency response.

He reiterated that the government was committed to providing updates as investigations progressed, while urging Nigerians to practise good hygiene and seek prompt medical attention if symptoms develop following possible exposure.

Health authorities say their immediate priority is to identify all potentially exposed individuals, monitor their health and prevent further transmission.