Ebola Scare: Lagos races against time as Congo death toll soars
The Lagos State Government has activated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) Incident Management Structure (IMS) as part of precautionary measures against a possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state.
The decision followed an emergency meeting held on 9 September at Mainland Hospital, Yaba, after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) confirmed 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, four of them health workers, in its latest outbreak.
During the meeting, health experts reviewed the epidemiological situation in the DRC and assessed Lagos’ readiness using a comprehensive checklist covering infection prevention and control (IPC), surveillance, contact tracing, case management, laboratory capacity, evacuation procedures, risk communication, logistics, and budget planning.
Speaking after the session, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusegun Ogboye, represented by the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr Ismail Abdus-Salam, described the IMS activation as a “proactive step,” noting Lagos’ vulnerability as Nigeria’s busiest gateway with multiple points of entry.
According to him, Lagos has put adequate structures in place, including an isolation centre with 14–18 bed spaces for suspected and confirmed cases, functional laboratories, and strengthened surveillance systems.
He added that training sessions for frontline health workers across all response pillars would begin immediately.
“Our preparedness assessment has been completed. The isolation centre is ready, surveillance is robust, and laboratory systems are intact. Starting tomorrow, officers in surveillance, IPC, case management, laboratory and risk communication will undergo fresh training,” Ogboye stated.
He further disclosed that Ebola fact sheets and advisories had been validated and would be circulated across public and private health facilities to keep doctors, nurses, and laboratory scientists on high alert.
Ogboye urged Lagos residents not to panic, assuring that government had put strong measures in place to safeguard the state.
He advised strict hand hygiene, environmental sanitation, and early reporting of suspected cases, especially among travellers from outbreak-affected regions.
“Ebola spreads through direct contact with blood, body fluids, or contaminated items from an infected person. Anyone with fever, sore throat, or malaria-like symptoms who has recently travelled to outbreak areas should immediately call 767 or 112,” he said.
He added that additional personnel had been deployed to the PHEOC, while formal memos were being prepared to fast-track mobilisation of resources should a case be detected.
At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, the Officer-in-Charge of Port Health Services and head of the Point of Entry (PoE) team, Dr Abdullahi Lawal, confirmed that surveillance and IPC measures had been scaled up.
Although there are no direct flights from the DRC to Nigeria, travellers from neighbouring countries such as Rwanda are being closely monitored, with high-risk passengers subjected to enhanced screening.
Lawal explained that all airport stakeholders, including immigration, customs, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), were being sensitised to recognise symptoms of Ebola.
Travellers, he added, were being advised to maintain strict hygiene and report any suspicious illness among fellow passengers.
He commended the Lagos State Government for its collaboration with federal agencies at the airport, stressing that the partnership was crucial to preventing Ebola’s re-entry into Nigeria.
The emergency meeting was attended by the Director of Lagos Mainland Hospital, Dr Olusola Adejumo; the Director of Lagos Biobank, Dr Bamidele Mutiu; a World Health Organization representative, Dr Memuna Esan; alongside PHEOC pillar leads and state surveillance officers, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to vigilance.
