Fred Ezeh, Abuja
The Federal Government has described as false, a messages circulating on social media that there was a positive case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria.
Government urged Nigerians to disregard the information, and explained that recent preliminary risk assessment conducted by the Nigeria Ebola Preparedness team, coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) indicated that overall risk of importation of EVD to Nigeria from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda is extremely low.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Abdullaziz Mashi Abdullahi, said in a statement released in Abuja, yesterday, that, notwithstanding, government is not resting on its oars; in view of trading activities of Nigerians with other affected countries.
He said: “Since the reports of outbreak of EVD in the Democratic Republic of Congo, heightened surveillance had been on-going at the various points of entry by officials of the Port Health Services division of the Ministry to prevent importation into Nigeria.
“Sick passengers have been properly screened and I can say categorically that no screened patients tested positive for Ebola or any deadly disease.”
He assured Nigerians that government is working in synergy with the World Health Organisation, state ministries of Health, partners and all other stakeholders, to protect the health of all Nigerians.