Enugu in Partnership with NCDC to Prevent Ebola Virus - Health Commissioner

Our Reporter 

The Enugu State Government is partnering with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to strengthen Ebola Virus Disease prevention and preparedness in the state and the wider South-East region.

The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, disclosed this on Thursday at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, shortly after a high-level meeting involving the NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Enugu State Ministry of Health.

Ugwu, a member of the Presidential Task Force Committee on Ebola Prevention and Preparedness, said Governor Peter Mbah had given strong backing to measures aimed at protecting Enugu and the South-East from the disease.

He said the state was tightening its health security measures, particularly at the international airport, to ensure its Ebola preparedness matched or surpassed standards in Abuja and Lagos.

The commissioner said capacity-building exercises and simulations had already been conducted for Port Health officials, ministry personnel, health partners and other stakeholders, with another round planned for the airport.

He added that the government was also intensifying public education and awareness campaigns through physical and electronic materials.

The NCDC has designated Enugu as a state with high importation risk because of the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

Ugwu said the continuous training and simulation exercises were necessary to keep response teams and stakeholders prepared to maintain optimal protocols and prevent the importation and spread of the virus.

The development comes amid Ebola outbreaks reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, with the World Health Organisation receiving support from the United States Government in the response efforts.