FCTA on Red Alert Over Outbreak of Ebola, Cholera

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Epidemiological Division of the Public Health Department of FCT Health and Human Services Secretariat (HHSS), yesterday said its surveillance system was prepared for the outbreak of Ebola, Cholera, Monkey Pox, Measles and COVID 19.

The Director, FCT Public Health Department, Dr. Sadiq Abdulrahaman, disclosed this in Abuja, while briefing the media on the state of preparedness and response of the FCTA health sector.

He said the FCT has taken proactive measures and was on a high alert mode even though it has not witnessed any serious outbreak of the diseases within the year ending,

He said although Ebola viral disease has not been recorded in Nigeria since 2014, the authorities were aware of the latest outbreak in Congo DR with consequences from quite a number of deaths and closure of schools

He added that periodically, there is weekly review, in conjunction with FCTA partners like WHO, NCDC and Disease Surveillance and Notification officers, who are key foot soldiers at the Area Councils level.

He said there was an ongoing training and retraining of its health workers especially those involved in periodic reporting of these diseases.

“For cerebral spinal meningitis, from January to date, we witnessed zero case, for cholera, we witnessed only two suspected cases, and zero laboratory confirmed; and for viral hemorrhagic fever specially Lassa fever which is endemic, we had 11 suspected cases and only one laboratory confirmed with no death.

“For measles, we had about 245 suspected cases, and zero laboratory confirmed. And for Monkey pox, which had brought a wave in recent past, cumulatively, we had about 58 suspected cases, with 9 confirmed in the FCT from January to date,” Abdulrahaman said.

He noted that despite the presidential directive on December 12, 2022, easing of safety measures and travel advisory in the country on COVID-19, there was still emphasis on issues around gathering, the use of masks and travel protocols especially for vulnerable groups, as the deadly disease still surges in the world.