Nigeria's Government Promises to Control Ebola Spread

The Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness has assured Nigerians that they can manage Ebola in the country.

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chairman of the Task Force and Chief of Staff to the President, spoke to journalists after an emergency meeting at the State House on Wednesday.

Gbajabiamila said the Task Force has been quietly working since its formation in June this year. He noted this is why the index case found yesterday was quickly detected.

"It’s very important to note this. Since the issue of Ebola came up in June, there have been about 44,000 flights in and out of Nigeria. So, it’s because of what the Ministry of Health, the task force and all the agencies have been doing. All hands have been on deck."

He explained that the passenger with the disease showed no symptoms for four days after the woman arrived in Abuja. He praised the identification process and protocols in place that helped with the quick detection. This shows the country’s ability to handle the situation as best as possible.

Gbajabiamila reassured Nigerians that the Task Force would make any necessary improvements to the protocols and ensure stricter enforcement moving forward.

"The Task Force is on top of it. NCDC is on top of it; everyone is on deck. We must build community trust and avoid panic, but it’s also important to state clearly that this is a collaborative effort between the government and the people."

He urged all Nigerians to respond to calls for compliance for the good of everyone.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Pate, stated that Nigeria has capable health authorities, including private hospitals, Immigration, Aviation, Interior, and local actors who have set up surveillance systems throughout the country to respond effectively.

"We have been conducting contact tracing diligently and isolating those contacts of the index imported case in this country. We will continue to do that, and we want to reassure Nigerians that the federal government, alongside its technical partners, the World Health Organisation, the Africa Centre for Disease Control, and our own Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, have activated the incident management system across the various pillars."

Pate continued, "They are working day and night diligently, and our hospital capabilities are also activated, such that we can aim to contain this case, as has been the case in other countries, but we will not relent. Our population should respect public health directives."

"Most of our states have adequate response plans. We have the resources, and we’re mobilising those capabilities. And we’re also confident that if we continue on this path, we should be able to dent this outbreak."

He also urged citizens to avoid spreading misinformation while fighting the virus.

"The key also for the population is to avoid spreading misinformation or baseless rumours, which can cause unnecessary panic. The Task Force leadership has met. WHO and AfricaCDC are working closely with the team."

Pate concluded, "In addition to our exceptional public health physicians who successfully tamed this virus in 2014 and contributed to other countries, we are confident that if we continue in this direction, we will emerge out of this crisis in a much stronger place."