Akakan Umoh
The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and the Ministry of Health have joined fight against Ebola outbreak in the state.
The House has urged relevant authorities in the state to put proactive preventive measures in place against the Ebola virus, following the confirmation of one case in Abuja.
The resolution was taken at Wednesday’s plenary after a Matter of Urgent Public Importance brought before the House by the member representing Itu State Constituency and Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Kufreabasi Edidem, citing Order 2, Rule 4 of the Standing Orders of the House on the ugly development.
Already, the State Government has intensified public health surveillance and preparedness following the Federal Government’s confirmation of an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
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Hon. Edidem informed the House that the Federal Government had on Monday, October 20, confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus in the FCT, Abuja.
He said the patient, a woman who arrived in Nigeria from Uganda via Addis Ababa on October 5, had earlier travelled for business to Eastern DR Congo.
According to him, Uganda said she only transited through the country without showing symptoms.
Symptoms started on October 7, and she visited a private hospital in Abuja on October 11 with malaria-like symptoms. Her condition worsened and she tested positive on October 19, with confirmation on October 20.
He noted that the patient is currently in isolation and receiving care, while 44 contacts, including her husband, a Swiss national resident in Abuja, healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts, have been identified and are being monitored.
The Itu lawmaker warned that with the influx of travellers and visitors through Victor Attah International Airport and various motor parks in the state, the people of Akwa Ibom could be exposed to the virus, urging the House to call on the State Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies to put measures in place to prevent an outbreak.
The motion was seconded by the member representing Ini State Constituency, Hon. Lawrence Udoide.
Contributing to the matter, the member representing Nsit Ubium State Constituency, Mr. Otobong Bob, commended the Itu lawmaker for bringing the matter, saying the matter speaks for itself and is timely.
Bob who is also the Leader of the House pleaded with colleagues to throw their weights for the involvement of measures to control of the spread of the deathly disease in the state.
Also, the member representing Ibiono Ibom State Constituency, Hon. Moses Essien, commended Hon. Edidem for the timely motion, stressing that issues relating to health should not be taken lightly.
Essien noted that the matter be taken seriously, calling for preventive mechanisms to be put in place to guard against the spread of the virus.
The member representing Essien Udim State Constituency, Prince Ukpong Akpabio, who also contributed to the debate on the matter, said he had intended to travel to Abuja but had to postpone the trip following news on the outbreak of the virus.
“Since we have been fully informed about the virus, measures have to be put in place to avoid issue,” he said.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. (Elder) Udeme Otong, directed the Clerk of the House, Mrs. Nsikakabasi Orok, to write to relevant authorities to forestall the spread of Ebola virus in the state.
Akwa Ibom Devises strategies to fight Ebola
In a press release issued on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, the State Ministry of Health said it had activated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) to strengthen surveillance and enhance readiness to respond to any suspected case.
According to the release, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare confirmed that a patient, a woman with recent international travel history, was in isolation and receiving medical care in Abuja as of October 20, 2026.
The statement noted that the Federal Government had identified more than 34 contacts with contact tracing and investigations ongoing.
The state government, however, clarified that there was currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Akwa Ibom State, describing the heightened alert as a precautionary measure to prevent a possible outbreak.
Residents were urged to remain calm, maintain good personal hygiene and follow verified public health information.
Under its preparedness and response measures, the Ministry of Health said it was strengthening surveillance and reporting systems across public and private health facilities, with emphasis on early detection, prompt reporting of suspected cases and the implementation of appropriate infection prevention and control measures.
The ministry also said it was reinforcing event-based surveillance, rapid notification and investigation of suspected cases through the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) and local government health teams.
Other measures include reviewing isolation facilities, safe referral and patient transportation arrangements, ensuring the availability of personal protective equipment and safe clinical waste-handling procedures, as well as strengthening coordination with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant authorities.
The government further pledged to provide accurate public information to encourage early reporting, counter misinformation and protect suspected cases and affected individuals from stigma.
On public safety, the ministry explained that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person, or with contaminated materials.
It noted that symptoms could develop between two and 21 days after exposure and may include fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. Bleeding may occur but is not always present.
Residents were advised to practise regular handwashing, avoid contact with potentially infectious body fluids and refrain from handling the body of anyone suspected to have died from Ebola.
The ministry also cautioned against circulating unverified reports or identifying suspected patients, stressing that ordinary travel to or residence in Abuja, without relevant exposure, did not in itself indicate Ebola infection.
Anyone who suspects exposure was advised to contact public health authorities promptly, even in the absence of symptoms, while those who develop symptoms were urged to avoid close contact with others and telephone a health facility before visiting to allow safe assessment and referral.
The ministry warned from unlicensed providers against self-medication and seeking care.
For suspected cases, health workers were directed to notify the relevant Local Government Area Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer and follow NCDC guidelines on isolation, infection prevention and referral.
Members of the public were advised to report suspected cases through the following channels: Director of Public Health, 0803 532 1513; State Epidemiologist, 0803 872 2244; and the NCDC national helpline, 6232.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, said the ministry would continue to work within the national response framework under the coordination of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the NCDC.
He urged residents to remain vigilant, cooperate with public health personnel and rely on official updates as the situation develops.
Nigeria identifies 44 contacts- Ministry
Nigeria is confirming its first Ebola case as an outbreak continues to spread in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
According to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the patient is a woman, who arrived on an international flight from Uganda, received care for several days before a diagnosis was confirmed through laboratory testing on Tuesday.
The ministry said that 44 close contacts of the patient have been identified and public health teams are working to identify and monitor people who may have been exposed, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
“Surveillance has been intensified, and the hospital is receiving immediate support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures,” the ministry said.
The patient was confirmed to have Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease, a rare variant of Ebola behind the current DRC outbreak. There are no vaccines nor treatments.
In a press release, the World Health Organization (WHO) said this makes Nigeria the fifth country to detect Ebola Bundibugyo virus since the DRC’s outbreak began in May.
The WHO said Nigeria’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its incident management system to coordinate a response, including identifying cases and follow-up of contacts.
In support, the WHO said it is working “closely with health authorities to strengthen control measures, including case investigation, contact tracing, infection prevention and control, and provision of essential supplies including personal protective equipment for health workers.”
It comes as Kenya’s Ministry of Health reported a new case of Ebola, bringing the total number of confirmed infections to nine.
All the cases appear to be linked to the original patient, a Kenyan man who had been living in the DRC and traveled to Nairobi. That man subsequently died on Oct. 5, according to authorities.
The ministry said that 134 of 135 contacts of the original patient have been traced and quarantined and the risk to the general public remains low.
Meanwhile, the nearby DRC continues to experience its worst Ebola outbreak on record. As of Oct. 18, 9,552 cases of Ebola and 4,550 deaths have been confirmed, according to the Congo Ministry of Health, with 937 patients in isolation or hospitalized.
The case fatality rate currently stands at 48.2% while contact tracing stands at 76.9%, an improvement from the earlier days of the outbreak.
