The Federal Government has intensified health screening and surveillance at all points of entry into Nigeria following the confirmation of a new Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The outbreak, declared in Kasai Province, has so far resulted in 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH, Dr Akpan Nse, Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, said Nigeria is at risk due to high travel volumes between the two countries. He confirmed that additional personnel have been deployed to airports, land borders, and seaports to strengthen monitoring efforts.

“All inbound travellers from Congo are being screened, including those transiting through the country,” - Nse .

“We’ve reactivated our portals and introduced mandatory health declaration forms. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), we’ve also recruited more staff to ensure thorough screening.”

The outbreak in DRC was confirmed on September 3 by the National Institute of Biomedical Research in Kinshasa, which identified the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. This marks the country’s 16th recorded outbreak since the virus was first detected in 1976. The last outbreak occurred in Equateur Province in 2022 and was contained within three months.

WHO has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the response, deploying rapid response teams and medical supplies to the affected region. According to Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, 2,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine prepositioned in Kinshasa are being used to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers.

Nigerian authorities say they are prepared to respond swiftly to any suspected case and are working with international partners to prevent cross-border transmission.