Ebola: Yobe activates emergency response system, strengthens surveillance

Ebola: Yobe activates emergency response system, strengthens surveillance

The Yobe Government says it has activated its Public Health Emergency Incident Management System and strengthened surveillance across the state’s 17 local government areas to prevent Ebola transmission.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Muhammed Gana, disclosed this on Monday in Damaturu at a news conference on the state’s Ebola preparedness and response.

Gana, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Hadiza Sabo, said that the state government has developed an emergency response plan following confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja.

“The State Emergency Operations Centre has been placed on high alert to coordinate early detection, prompt response and containment of suspected cases,” he said.

The commissioner said designated isolation and treatment facilities had been identified across the state’s three senatorial zones, with efforts underway to equip them with medical supplies and personal protective equipment.

He said that community/event-based surveillance had been intensified, while disease surveillance and notification officers have been directed to investigate reports of suspected cases promptly.

According to him, a dedicated contact-tracing team is ready to identify and monitor people exposed to suspected or confirmed cases for 21 days, in line with national guidelines.

Gana said the government was strengthening laboratory preparedness through the provision of sample collection kits, training of sample collectors and collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).

He added that frontline health workers were receiving refresher training on infection prevention, safe sample collection and clinical management of viral haemorrhagic fevers.

“The public and private health facilities have been directed to maintain a high index of suspicion and promptly isolate and assess patients with symptoms compatible with Ebola,” he said.

The commissioner said that the state was also strengthening cross-border surveillance and collaborating with border authorities and transport unions to improve the detection and reporting of potential public health threats.

He said that public awareness campaigns were being intensified through radio, television, community town criers, traditional rulers and religious leaders.

“We urge residents to practice proper hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with the blood and other bodily fluids of sick people, and report unusual illnesses or deaths to health facility,” he said

Gana advised anyone experiencing fever, severe weakness, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding to seek immediate medical attention.

Read Also: Tinubu 2027 : Arc. Sonny Echono Rolls Out Free Medical Outreach…

He also advised residents to contact the Yobe State Emergency Medical Ambulance Service on 112 when emergency assistance was required.

He cautioned against spreading unverified information, urging residents to rely on official updates from the state Ministry of Health and Human Services and the NCDC.

The commissioner appealed to residents to avoid stigmatising persons identified as contacts, explaining that contact tracing is a standard public health measure and did not mean those monitored had contracted the disease.

He said that the state was working with the NCDC, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund to align its preparedness and response activities with national protocol.

“The Federal Government confirmed an imported Ebola case in Abuja on Oct. 20 involving a diplomat from Uganda, with tests identifying the virus as the Bundibugyo strain.

“The national response has been activated, while exposed persons are being monitored to prevent further transmission.

“Yobe has not recorded any Ebola case; the government is taking proactive measures to protect public health.

“The state has no case of Ebola, but we are taking no chances,” he said.

Gana urged residents to remain calm, vigilant and cooperate with health authorities to prevent the possible spread of the disease.