FG Establishes Presidential Task Force on Ebola Preparedness
By Sabiu Abdullahi
The Federal Government has inaugurated a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness as part of efforts to prevent a possible outbreak in the country.
Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, inaugurated the committee on Thursday in Abuja. He said the initiative was designed to ensure Nigeria takes preventive action early and avoids a repeat of the Ebola outbreak recorded in 2014.
“We did the inauguration today on the preparedness of Nigeria for the Ebola virus disease. We’ve covered a lot of ground.
“Right now, there’s no reported case, which is good news, and that’s why all hands have to be on deck to make sure the measures we are taking are preventive, not curative,” he said.
Gbajabiamila explained that the government intends to act ahead of any emergency instead of waiting until the virus enters the country.
“We don’t want to be in the situation we were last time, where we had a carrier in the country and we’re all running helter-skelter,” he added.
According to him, the task force has already created teams that will focus on disease surveillance, border monitoring and emergency coordination.
He stated that the new strategy extends beyond airport checks and now includes stronger monitoring at land borders and informal travel routes.
Gbajabiamila noted that authorities are expanding surveillance because of the high level of movement across land borders. He said agencies such as Immigration, the Border Control Development Agency and border communities are involved in the operation.
Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, also confirmed that health screening measures have been strengthened at major entry points across the country.
He added that the preparedness plan connects federal ministries and state governments to ensure coordinated action against any possible Ebola outbreak.