Ebola screening stepped up at Kebbi border crossings
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Post
Health authorities in Nigeria’s Kebbi State are stepping up Ebola screening at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport and three land crossing points. Protective equipment has also been distributed to public hospitals to improve their preparedness, said the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, according to Daily Post.
The government of Kebbi State in north-western Nigeria stepped up Ebola virus disease screening on Sunday 25 October at Sir Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi and at several land border posts. Arriving and departing passengers are being screened to quickly identify possible symptoms, said the state’s Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Zaki Abubakar Zaki, in a statement reported by Daily Post.
The measures also cover three land entry points in the local government areas of Bagudo, Kamba and Arewa. Suspected cases are to be referred for medical assessment, while protective equipment has been distributed to the state’s general hospitals to prepare them to provide care, according to the Kebbi State Ministry of Health. Authorities have asked travellers and residents to promptly report any suggestive symptoms to the relevant services.
The local measure follows the reinforcement of Ebola screening at all of Nigeria’s points of entry, announced on 23 October. It also follows the strengthening of screening in Zamfara State, reported on 25 October after a passenger with a fever was identified.
