Lagos strengthens Ebola response after Abuja case
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Daily Post
Lagos State is strengthening its Ebola preparedness after an imported case was confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Measures include upgrading an isolation centre, simulation exercises and laboratory testing within 24 hours, according to Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi.
The Lagos State Government has placed its health services on heightened alert after Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Lagos Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi said the state was ready to respond to any potential threat, the Daily Post reports.
Lagos’s emergency operations centre is coordinating epidemiological surveillance, isolation, laboratory testing and infection-prevention measures. Simulation exercises are being conducted to prepare teams, while the isolation centre has been upgraded and its capacity is to be expanded. Medical staff training is continuing in public and private facilities.
Authorities are establishing a testing system designed to provide results within 24 hours. Health screening is being strengthened at airports and other entry points, with digital monitoring intended to detect suspected cases quickly and organise contact tracing. A research committee dedicated to Ebola is also examining scientific data on treatments and vaccines.
Akin Abayomi urged residents to wash their hands regularly and avoid contact with the blood or bodily fluids of sick people. He recommended that they contact health services before going to a facility in cases of fever, weakness, vomiting, diarrhoea, unexplained bleeding or possible exposure. The mobilisation came after 44 contacts linked to the infected patient were identified, followed by investigations into the origin of the infection in Lagos.
