Kaduna, Anambra step up Ebola checks at airports, parks and borders
- Kaduna is strengthening hospital readiness and public awareness on Ebola, with campaigns planned at motor parks and railway stations.
- Anambra says it has no confirmed Ebola case and has deployed health officers to its airport, motor parks and borders.
- Both states acted after the Federal Government confirmed an index case in Abuja.
Two states are tightening their guard against Ebola after the Federal Government confirmed an index case in Abuja. Kaduna and Anambra say they are focusing on early detection and public awareness rather than waiting for a case to appear.
In Kaduna, the Director of Public Health in the state Ministry of Health, Dr Sadique Abubakar, said the government is strengthening the readiness of health facilities and stepping up sensitisation on prevention and infection control. He spoke after a meeting to review the Ebola situation and decide what to do next.
Abubakar said the state is preparing messages for radio, television and other platforms, and plans awareness campaigns at key entry points such as motor parks and railway stations so travellers get the information. The ministry will also issue a public health advisory, which he said is standard when there is a public health concern.
He urged residents to follow official public health information and observe the recommended precautions.
Anambra: no case, but officers deployed
In Anambra, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Afam Obidike, told journalists on Thursday that there is no confirmed Ebola case in the state and asked residents not to panic. He said the state has deployed health officers to Chinua Achebe International Airport in Umueri, to motor parks and to other areas to make detection easier.
Obidike said the state Ministry of Health is working with the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to increase surveillance, especially around the airport and the state's borders. He spoke after an emergency meeting with health stakeholders.
He said the state's Epidemiology Unit has begun following up and monitoring persons of interest referred to Anambra through the national surveillance system, and that preparations started earlier, when Ebola broke out in the region.
"We call on the people of the state to remain vigilant and cooperate with public health authorities and report any unusual symptoms to the nearest facility," Obidike said.
For ordinary Nigerians, the practical message is simple: pay attention to advisories from state health officials and the NCDC, and report unusual symptoms to the nearest health facility rather than self-medicating.
What happens next
Kaduna says it will keep reviewing its preparedness and issue further updates as new measures are developed. Anambra says its surveillance will continue at entry points and through the national system. Anambra reported no confirmed case in the state.
