By Blessing Bature
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has announced a weekly financial support of N100,000 for people placed under quarantine following Nigeria’s confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the financial assistance was introduced to ease the burden on contacts who expressed concerns about being unable to attend to their businesses and provide for their families while in quarantine.
Idris, who disclosed this during a briefing on the country’s Ebola response, said the agency was also providing accommodation and feeding for the contacts as part of measures to ensure their cooperation with public health authorities.
He explained that some of the individuals had complained about the financial implications of remaining in quarantine, particularly their inability to work and sustain their households.
According to him, the intervention was an emergency measure intended to address their immediate needs while they remained under monitoring.
The NCDC chief, however, stressed that providing such support was not solely the responsibility of the agency, noting that state governments also had a role to play in providing the necessary resources and facilities for public health emergencies.
He said the agency had taken the decision to prevent further hardship among the contacts and ensure that public health measures were implemented effectively.
Idris disclosed that 53 primary contacts had been identified in connection with the confirmed case, including 44 people linked to the health facility where the patient was treated and nine others comprising household contacts, people who reportedly attended another clinic visited by the patient, and members of the FCT team that collected samples.
He said contact tracing was ongoing, with individuals categorised according to their level of exposure and monitored for symptoms.
The NCDC director-general added that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, while none of the identified contacts had tested positive as of the briefing.
He explained that the number of contacts could change as investigations continued and public health officials worked to identify possible secondary contacts.
Idris said contacts would be monitored throughout the required follow-up period, with anyone who developed symptoms promptly assessed and tested.
He also disclosed that the National Incident Management System had been activated at the highest level to coordinate the response, while infection prevention and control measures were being strengthened across healthcare facilities.
The NCDC urged Nigerians to cooperate with contact tracing teams, provide accurate information and avoid spreading unverified reports about the outbreak.
He described the patient as a 42-year-old woman married to a Swedish national and said preliminary investigations indicated that she had travelled outside Nigeria in September before returning.
However, he cautioned that investigators were still working to establish her precise movements, including whether she had travelled to an area affected by Ebola.
He said genetic sequencing had been conducted to examine the relationship between the virus identified in Nigeria and viruses circulating in other affected areas.
According to him, the NCDC was scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with counterparts in Uganda to share information and discuss the outbreak.
Idris urged Nigerians to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information, assuring the public that investigations and response activities would continue as more evidence became available.He described the patient as a 42-year-old woman married to a Swedish national and said preliminary investigations indicated that she had travelled outside Nigeria in September before returning.
However, he cautioned that investigators were still working to establish her precise movements, including whether she had travelled to an area affected by Ebola.
He said genetic sequencing had been conducted to examine the relationship between the virus identified in Nigeria and viruses circulating in other affected areas.
According to him, the NCDC was scheduled to hold a virtual meeting with counterparts in Uganda to share information and discuss the outbreak.
Idris urged Nigerians to avoid speculation and the circulation of unverified information, assuring the public that investigations and response activities would continue as more aaqevidence became available.
