Nigeria: Nigeria Not 100 Percent Ready, but Can Contain Ebola - - Ncdc

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Jide Idris, on Friday admitted that Nigeria is not fully prepared for a possible Ebola outbreak but insisted that the country can still contain the deadly virus if it enters the country.

Addressing a press briefing in Lagos amid growing concerns over the Ebola outbreak in parts of East Africa, Idris said that although Nigeria's preparedness level is not at 100 percent, mechanisms already in place are strong enough to stop transmission.

"We cannot be 100 percent prepared. It is not possible not even America can claim that," Idris said.

"But let me be frank with you: if Ebola comes into Nigeria, we will stop it with the current knowledge and systems we have now."

The NCDC boss said Nigeria had already classified the risk of Ebola importation as high because of increasing international travel, population movement, and the country's porous borders.

According to him, the Federal Government has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures nationwide, particularly at international airports and border entry points.

"For Nigeria, our main focus is on points of entry. What we have done is strengthen surveillance at these points," he stated.

Idris disclosed that surveillance systems are currently active at the country's five international airports in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu, and Port Harcourt, with Port Health officials, aviation agencies, immigration officers, and state governments working together to monitor travellers arriving from affected countries.

He explained that passengers from high-risk countries are subjected to screening procedures and mandatory health declaration forms before boarding flights into Nigeria.

"The idea is not to allow the disease to enter the country in the first place," he said.

The NCDC DG, however, acknowledged major challenges confronting the country's preparedness efforts, especially the shortage of health workers and limited laboratory capacity.

"Yes, we have a shortage of health workers. The shortage is affecting NCDC," he admitted.

He also revealed that only a few laboratories in Nigeria currently have the capacity to test for Ebola due to the high cost of setting up and maintaining such facilities.

"The laboratories are expensive, maintaining them is expensive, and training the right personnel is also expensive. That is why the system has been tiered," he explained.

Idris said designated laboratories capable of testing for Ebola include the National Reference Laboratory in Abuja, the Lagos University Teaching