Chinyere Ikeanyi
The Academy of Medical Sciences of Nigeria has issued an urgent public advisory urging all Nigerians to avoid handshakes, hugging and other unnecessary physical contact following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement signed by Emeritus Professor Osato Giwa-Osagie (President), Professor Oladapo A. Ashiru (Foundation President) and Professor Boaz Adegboro (Rapid Response Committee), the Academy noted with concern the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s announcement of one confirmed case of Ebola disease in a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda.
The Academy fully endorsed the statement by Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, CON, and praised the swift response of the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the FCT Health Services Secretariat and partners. It specifically commended the prompt start of contact tracing, isolation of the patient and intensified surveillance already under way.
Drawing on Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 and its COVID-19 response experience, the Academy called for the immediate nationwide activation of high-alert protocols. These include enhanced screening at airports, seaports and land borders (especially for travellers from affected countries), activation of isolation and treatment centres across states, strict infection prevention and control in all public and private health facilities, adequate personal protective equipment for health workers, rigorous contact tracing and sustained accurate public communication through official channels.
The Academy stressed that Ebola is not airborne. It spreads only through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of a person who is sick with Ebola or has died from it, or through contact with materials contaminated by those fluids. A person cannot transmit the disease before symptoms begin.
As a simple and effective precaution, the Academy advised Nigerians to avoid handshakes and other unnecessary physical contact, including hugging, and to use non-contact greetings during this period.
Further public advice includes remaining calm but vigilant; washing hands regularly with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitiser; avoiding contact with the body fluids of anyone who is ill and not handling the bodies of persons suspected to have died of Ebola; watching for symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea (especially after possible exposure); calling public health authorities before visiting a health facility if exposed or symptomatic; cooperating fully with contact-tracing teams; and relying only on information from official health authorities while avoiding rumours and stigma.
For information or to report a suspected case, the public is directed to the NCDC toll-free number 6232, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Academy said it stands ready to support the Federal Government and all stakeholders with expert advice as the response continues.
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