Nigeria expands Ebola fund to Lassa fever
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Leadership
Nigeria will use the 10 billion naira approved for Ebola preparedness to monitor and control other endemic diseases, including Lassa fever. NCDC director-general Jide Idris said the measures would also cover diagnostics and border controls, on Channels Television.
The director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Jide Idris, said the 10 billion naira approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola preparedness should also fund the response to other endemic diseases, including Lassa fever. He said this on Channels Television on Monday evening, according to Nigerian media outlet Leadership.
Idris explained that surveillance, screening and diagnostic measures at points of entry can be used against several diseases. He specifically mentioned the approaching Lassa fever season and said the money had been requested to strengthen health preparedness beyond Ebola.
The NCDC official also rejected the accusation that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was exploiting the epidemic for political purposes. He said health emergencies should not be used as a political weapon and that the decision to postpone an election was not his to make.
In May, Tinubu approved the creation of a presidential team tasked with preparing for Ebola and new health threats, as well as the release of 10 billion naira. The debate over the use of this allocation comes as Nigeria is monitoring 53 contacts linked to the outbreak and providing some of them with weekly support, according to the contact-tracing measures.
