Nigeria has stepped up monitoring and screening procedures at all ports of entry, airports, seaports, and land borders, in response to a fresh outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Federal Government said measures are being tightened to prevent the importation of the virus, which has resurfaced in Kasai Province.
The Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Akpan Nse, explained that additional staff have been deployed to strengthen surveillance. He noted that every inbound traveller from the DRC is thoroughly screened, with medical history collected through mandatory forms. “We have intensified surveillance at all points of entry across the country—airports, land borders, and seaports. Every inbound traveller coming from Congo to Nigeria is thoroughly screened,” he said, adding that Nigeria has reactivated its portals to track flights and passengers coming from the region.
Health authorities in the DRC confirmed the outbreak on September 4 after laboratory tests conducted in Kinshasa identified the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus. As of September 5, at least 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths had been recorded, including four health workers. The outbreak began with a 34-year-old pregnant woman who presented with fever and vomiting in Kasai before her death in late August.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support the DRC’s response. According to WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, rapid response teams have been deployed to Kasai to trace contacts, test samples, and provide treatment support. He added that 2,000 doses of the Ebola vaccine prepositioned in Kinshasa would be distributed to vaccinate contacts and frontline health workers. The UN body has also delivered personal protective equipment, medical supplies, and a mobile laboratory to affected areas.
Public health experts in Nigeria have urged authorities not to let their guard down. Associate Professor of Infectious Diseases, Oladipo Kolawole, said Nigeria has the technical expertise and infrastructure to manage Ebola, pointing to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and expanded laboratory facilities in Lagos. However, he stressed the need for inter-agency coordination and strict monitoring of travellers.
Similarly, Dr. Moses Adewumi of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, called for rigorous enforcement of travel protocols and surveillance at points of entry, warning that early detection is critical to stopping community transmission. Dr. Iorhen Akase of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital added that Ebola is only contagious once symptoms appear, reinforcing the need for vigilant screening at Nigeria’s borders.
The Kasai outbreak is the DRC’s 16th since the disease was first identified in 1976. Previous outbreaks in the province occurred in 2007 and 2008. The latest emergency unfolds against a backdrop of overlapping health and humanitarian crises across Central and West Africa, including cholera, malnutrition, and population displacement.