FG says Nigeria's single Ebola case is contained, urges calm
- Health minister Muhammad Pate says Nigeria is working with Uganda to trace contacts of the one confirmed Ebola case.
- Pate says the patient is an imported case, stable and in isolation, with 44 contacts being monitored.
- Health experts at a conference in Osogbo say panic would do more harm than the virus itself.
Di Federal Government say di one confirmed Ebola case wey dey di kontri dey under control and Nigerians no get reason to panic, as health authorities dey trace everybody wey come in contact with di patient.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare Muhammad Pate give dis assurance on Wednesday evening at di Presidential Villa in Abuja, after e meet di Chief of Staff to di President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Pate say di patient na woman wey recently fly enter Nigeria from Uganda. Her symptoms start on October 7 and she go seek care at one private hospital on October 11. She dey stable and dey isolation, and dem dey monitor 44 contacts.
He say Nigeria dey work with Uganda on di response and containment steps dey in place to stop di virus reach di wider population.
Why e matter
Ebola dey spread through direct contact with blood or body fluids of person wey get am, and di World Health Organisation say no approved vaccine or specific treatment for di Bundibugyo strain wey dey dis outbreak. Dat one make early detection and contact tracing di main defence.
Pate say di Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention dey run incident management system round di clock, and di Presidential Task Force on Ebola, wey President Bola Tinubu set up on June 9 with ₦10bn for emergency preparedness, still dey active.
He point to 2014, when Nigeria stop one imported Ebola case from spreading, as proof say di kontri fit handle am again. "We must be vigilant, but not panic," he talk, ask Nigerians to rely on trusted health sources and avoid spreading rumours.
Di minister say he go receive report on di case and di government go meet again on Thursday. "If di situation change, we go come out and inform Nigerians," he talk.
He also talk say di government no fit control people wey dem ask to isolate but dem go out instead, and e urge anybody wey get symptoms or contact with a case to follow instructions.
One disagreement dey: Ugandan authorities bin talk say dia kontri no get Ebola case, even though dem talk say di Nigerian patient travel from there. When dem ask am about dis one, Pate only talk say Nigeria dey collaborate with Uganda.
Experts: educate, no panic
At di 11th National Conference on Environment and Health in Osogbo, Osun State, health experts talk say fear fit cause more harm pass di virus.
Joshua Ojo, one professor at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, talk say Ebola no dey airborne and person no dey contagious until symptoms show. "Panic itself fit be part of di problem," he talk, call for public education instead.
Isaac Akinwumi of di Environmental Health Officers Association of Nigeria, South-West Zone, talk say di kontri contain Ebola in 2014 by pulling stakeholders together and e fit do am again quickly.
Wetin go happen next: Di task force go meet again on Thursday, and di government don promise daily updates. Nigerians suppose watch for official information from NCDC and report any symptoms to health facility.
