…As Lagos upgrades isolation centre, targets 24-hour test results
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has approved an emergency payment of N100,000 per person weekly to support people placed in isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, during a press briefing on Sunday, said the payment was introduced after some contacts complained about the cost of feeding, accommodation and maintaining their families while undergoing public health monitoring.
This was as the Lagos State Government strengthened its preparedness against the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), upgrading its isolation centre and targeting laboratory test results within 24 hours following the confirmation of an index case in Abuja.
The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed this in a statement, saying Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed relevant agencies to remain on high alert and intensify preparations to prevent and respond to any suspected case.
NCDC boss, Idris disclosed the payment measure during a briefing on the agency’s response to the outbreak, explaining that the financial support was an emergency measure to ensure that people identified as contacts could comply with monitoring arrangements without facing additional financial hardship.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.
He added, “We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”
The NCDC boss explained that the intervention was not originally planned but became necessary because of the circumstances surrounding the outbreak. He said the agency would continue to review the arrangement as the response progressed.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” Idris said.
He also stressed that the Federal Capital Territory should not be the only jurisdiction prepared to provide such support, warning that other states would need to make adequate financial and logistical provisions should similar emergencies arise.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.
According to him, state governments must be prepared to provide the resources and materials required to support contact tracing, isolation and other response activities within their jurisdictions.
The payment comes as health authorities intensify efforts to prevent further transmission of Ebola following the confirmation of an imported case in Abuja on October 20.
Idris said Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case at the time of the briefing, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring. The contacts include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
He said the contacts were being categorised according to their exposure and followed up by public health teams, while anyone developing symptoms would be assessed and tested.
The NCDC had also established isolation arrangements for contacts requiring them, with officials monitoring their health throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure.
Idris said one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, adding that surveillance and follow-up were continuing.
The agency was also strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training personnel and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus. She developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and was confirmed positive on October 20.
The World Health Organisation has identified the case as an imported infection and said investigations were continuing to establish the likely source of exposure. The ongoing regional outbreak has also affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, underscoring the importance of cross-border surveillance and rapid identification of contacts.
Lagos State Health Commissioner, Abayomi said Lagos was treating the development as a priority because of the regular movement of people between Lagos and Abuja.
He explained that the state’s Emergency Operations Centre had conducted simulation exercises ahead of the confirmed case to ensure that emergency response teams understood their responsibilities and could respond effectively.
According to him, the government has upgraded its isolation centre and is developing additional capacity to manage potential cases. Training for health workers in public and private health facilities is also ongoing, with emphasis on infection prevention and control.
“Our isolation centre has been upgraded, and additional capacity is ongoing,” Abayomi said.
He added that the state was establishing a clear process for laboratory testing to ensure suspected cases could be assessed promptly.
“We are defining a clear pathway from sample to result, targeting results within 24 hours,” he said.
The commissioner said a dedicated Ebola Research Committee was reviewing current evidence on treatments and vaccines to guide the state’s response.
He added that the government was strengthening screening at airports and other points of entry in collaboration with federal authorities.
Disease surveillance is also being enhanced digitally through the state’s SHIP platform to improve the detection of suspected cases, contact tracing and real-time response.
As part of preventive measures, Abayomi urged residents to wash their hands regularly with soap and water and avoid contact with the blood and other body fluids of anyone who is ill.
He advised anyone experiencing fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, or who suspects exposure to the virus, not to self-medicate but to contact health authorities before visiting a health facility.
The commissioner also urged health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion, ask patients about their travel history and use appropriate personal protective equipment when attending to suspected cases.
Residents were advised to report suspected cases or possible exposure through the Lagos State emergency numbers, 112 and 767, or contact the Directorate of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health on 0802 316 9485.
Abayomi urged Lagos residents to remain calm, stay vigilant and rely on official updates from the state Ministry of Health.
