FG Urges Citizens to Disregard Rumour Of Ebola Case In Nigeria

• Health ministry partnering with stakeholders to check ate disease.
• Urges Citizens to continue their normal routine.

The Federal Ministry of Health has announced that a recent preliminary risk assessment which indicated that the overall risk of importation of EVD to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda is low.

The Federal Government has, therefore, urged Nigerians to continue their normal activities by disregarding rumour message making the rounds that there is a positive case of the Ebola Virus Disease in the country.

A Permanent Secretary from the Federal Ministry of Health, Abdulaziz Mashi Abdullahi said the message which was false could cause harm to innocent people, and create panic among citizens.

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Recall that there have been concerns about the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and days after a scare in Kenya.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the DRC outbreak which has claimed more than a 1,000 lives and spread to Uganda, killing two persons, is not a global health emergency.

Reacting to the information, the health ministry said there has been “heightened surveillance” at points of entry in view of the outbreak in DRC, and stressed that there is no cause for alarm.

The ministry’s Director of Media and Public Relations, Boade Akinola in a statement quoted Abdulllahi saying: ‘’I can say categorically that none of the patients screened has tested positive for Ebola or any deadly disease,”.

Abdullahi further revealed that in line with WHO’s guidelines, a recent preliminary risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) indicated that the overall risk of importation of EVD to Nigeria from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda is low.

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“But we are not resting on our oars in view of trading activities of Nigerians,” he added.

He, therefore, assured Nigerians that the Nigerian Government remained fully committed to protect its citizens, while working closely with the WHO, state ministries of health, partners and all other stakeholders.

“Necessary protocols are being followed in line with International Health Regulations,” he said.

Recall that Nigeria battled Ebola in 2014, which involved 20 cases and eight died after an infected Liberian-American flew into the country.