Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has provided an emergency exit route to forestall outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in the country.
NCDC tweeted ”Given the proximity of Guinea to Nigeria, as well as other indicators, Nigeria has been placed at moderate risk of an Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak.’’
”The NCDC has an existing multi-sectoral National Emerging Viral Haemorrhagic Diseases Working Group (EVHDWG). This group coordinates preparedness efforts for EVD and other emerging viral haemorrhagic diseases.
”The EVHDWG has carried out a risk assessment on the possibility of transmission of the virus to Nigeria. The outputs from this risk assessment are being used to initiate preparedness activities in-country.
”Several measures have been put in place to prevent and mitigate the impact of a potential EVD outbreak in Nigeria. A National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) operating from NCDC’s Incident Coordination Centre (ICC) is on alert mode. We have a team of first responders on standby, ready to be deployed within 24 hours in the event of an EVD outbreak in Nigeria.
”We have also established testing capacity for EVD at the NCDC National Reference Laboratory. The NCDC will continue working with states to strengthen preparedness activities across the country,’’ NCDC tweeted.
Recall that on 14th of February 2021, cases and deaths on Ebola were reported in the N’zerekore region of Guinea.
MNCDC tweeted ”On the 18th of February 2021, 877 new confirmed cases and 16 deaths were recorded in Nigeria
According to the public health agency, ”The 877 new cases are reported from 26 states- Lagos (273), Kaduna (87), Rivers (58), Akwa Ibom (47), Ebonyi (47), Edo (46), Ogun (46), Abia (34), Imo (34), Kano (34), Oyo (26), Osun (22), Gombe (20).
Others were Ekiti (19), Cross River (15), FCT (15), Plateau (11), Enugu (9), Kebbi (8), Borno (7), Niger (6), Bayelsa (5), Nasarawa (4), Kwara (2), Katsina (1), and Sokoto (1).
”Till date, 150246 cases have been confirmed, 126417 cases have been discharged and 1803 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
”A multi-sectoral national emergency operations centre (EOC), activated at Level 3, continues to coordinate the national response activities.
”Our discharges today include 275 community recoveries in Lagos State and 91 community recoveries in Kwara State managed in line with guidelines,’’ NCDC stated.
“We build up our health security architecture across the country and develop a response mechanism that we can be proud of; a resilient architecture that can protect Nigerians going into the future. This is the vision for the future,” NCDC Director-General, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu noted.
