Ebola Scare: Lagos ramps up surveillance as 177 die in Central Africa outbreak

By Chioma Obinna

The Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and border health screening following the worsening Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in Central and East Africa, where at least 177 deaths have been recorded from about 700 suspected cases.

Meanwhile, the state government has advised Lagosians who have contact with travellers from affected areas and are experiencing symptoms, to call 767 or 112, or contact the State Epidemiologist on 08023169485.

The outbreak, currently limited to Congo and Uganda, has triggered a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) declaration by the World Health Organisation (WHO), amid concerns over difficult terrain and delays in containment efforts.

Disclosing this yesterday, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in a post on his X handle, assured residents that no suspected or confirmed case of Ebola has been recorded in the state.Abayomi said the state is closely monitoring the evolving situation and remains fully prepared to respond to any public health threat.

“We are closely monitoring the evolving Ebola outbreak situation in Central and East Africa… we have not seen any cases resembling Ebola in Lagos to date,” the commissioner stated.

He added that Lagos has activated its outbreak-tested biosecurity framework, described as a “Biosecurity Bio-shield,” designed to detect, contain and respond rapidly to high-consequence infectious diseases.
He said the system, strengthened since the 2014 Ebola outbreak and reinforced during COVID-19 as well as other outbreaks such as cholera, diphtheria and Lassa fever, remains on permanent alert.

“The Lagos State Incident Command System (ICS), led by Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, is on standby to coordinate emergency response if required.”

He said said its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) operates round-the-clock, with epidemiologists and surveillance officers tracking community-level disease signals across Lagos.

The commissioner further confirmed that the Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital remains fully prepared, with isolation wards, intensive care units and case management facilities ready for any suspected infectious disease cases.

He added that its Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory in Yaba is on enhanced alert for rapid diagnosis of high-risk pathogens.

On border control, he said all flights arriving from East and Central Africa are under intensified screening in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research.

He said surveillance has also been strengthened at seaports and land borders, with Port Health officers placed on heightened alert.

At the community level, he said Community Health Workers, Community Development Associations and Civil Society Organisations have been integrated into an early-warning system to ensure rapid reporting of suspected cases.

“Strategic stockpiles of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfectants and emergency supplies have been positioned across key locations, while ambulance services remain on standby.”

Reassuring residents, the commissioner stressed that there is no cause for panic, noting that preparedness has become a permanent culture in the state’s public health system.

“Our focus remains prevention, early detection, rapid reporting and swift response. Preparedness is not a temporary reaction for us; it is our permanent culture,” he said.

He advised residents who recently travelled to Congo or Uganda, or had contact with travellers from affected areas and are experiencing symptoms, to call 767 or 112, or contact the State Epidemiologist on 08023169485.

The post Ebola Scare: Lagos ramps up surveillance as 177 die in Central Africa outbreak appeared first on Vanguard News.