Abuja, FCT – By Prime Brief Media
The World Health Organisation has declared the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, after the viral haemorrhagic fever claimed at least 88 lives in the central African nation.
The WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, announced the designation on Monday, citing the risk of international spread and the need for a coordinated global response. The outbreak, concentrated in North Kivu province, has seen over 140 confirmed cases.
In response, the Nigerian government has tightened surveillance at all international airports, seaports, and land border crossings. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control said in a statement that no case of Ebola has been recorded in Nigeria, but that precautionary measures are being escalated.
"All port health officers are on high alert. Temperature screening and travel history verification have been intensified. We are also coordinating with state ministries of health to ensure preparedness across the country," the NCDC statement read.
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014, limiting the spread to just 19 confirmed cases and seven deaths, an achievement widely praised internationally. Health authorities say the lessons from that experience are being applied to the current response. The public has been urged to remain calm and to report any suspicious symptoms to the nearest health facility.
Prime Brief Media will monitor developments and report further as information becomes available.
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