NEMA urges calm after Ebola case in Abuja, warns against touching bodies of suspected victims
- NEMA has confirmed one Ebola patient is isolated in the FCT and receiving care while contact tracing continues.
- Its director-general, Zubaida Umar, asked Nigerians to report suspected cases and avoid handling the bodies of suspected victims.
- She said the Federal Ministry of Health, NCDC and FCT health authorities are leading the response.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has asked Nigerians to stay calm and report any suspected Ebola case quickly, after one case of the disease was confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
NEMA Director-General Zubaida Umar said the patient has been separated from other people and is being treated, while health workers trace everyone the person may have come into contact with. She spoke to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday.
She said the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) are leading the response, working with the FCT Health Services Secretariat and other agencies.
What Nigerians should do
Umar said Ebola spreads mainly when a person touches the blood or other body fluids of someone who is already sick with the virus, or touches contaminated materials. That makes some everyday actions risky.
She warned people not to touch or prepare the body of anyone who may have died of Ebola. Such burials, she said, should be left to trained health workers.
She also advised Nigerians to:
- Wash hands often with soap and running water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
- Avoid direct contact with the blood or body fluids of anyone suspected of having Ebola.
- Stay away from wild animals and never handle dead ones.
- Go to a health facility immediately if fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting or diarrhoea appears after possible exposure.
Anyone approached by contact-tracing teams should give correct information and follow their instructions, she said. She also asked people not to spread unverified reports, warning that rumours and stigmatisation can slow the response.
For official advice or to report a suspected case, she gave the NCDC toll-free number as 6232.
“Our most important message to Nigerians is: remain calm, remain vigilant and follow official health advice. There is no need for panic,” Umar said.
Why 2014 gives hope
Umar pointed to Nigeria's handling of Ebola in 2014, when the country stopped the outbreak. She said that experience showed that finding cases early, tracing contacts, responsible behaviour by citizens and coordinated action by agencies can break the chain of spread.
She said NEMA is ready to provide coordination and emergency support within the country's emergency management system as needed.
What happens next: Contact tracing and surveillance will continue around the confirmed case. Nigerians should watch for official updates from the NCDC and the health ministry rather than unverified posts, and report suspected cases on 6232.
