By OLUWAFUNKE ISHOLA

The Lagos State Government has reassured residents that there is no immediate threat of Ebola Virus Disease in the state in spite of the evolving outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa.

The State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, in a statement on Sunday, emphasised that the state’s biosecurity and emergency response systems remained fully activated and outbreak-tested.

Abayomi disclosed that Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu had directed intensified surveillance, preparedness and rapid response measures across the state.

According to him, the outbreak, which has reportedly caused about 177 deaths from nearly 700 suspected cases, remains limited to Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.

He added that the World Health Organisation had classified the situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, largely due to the challenging terrain in the affected countries, which could complicate response efforts.

Abayomi, however, stressed that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case had been detected in Lagos State.

He said the state had over the years developed a resilient public health emergency structure capable of responding to infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera, diphtheria and influenza.

“The Lagos Biosecurity Bio-shield was built to protect and remains ready to respond to biological shocks. Preparedness for us is not a temporary reaction; it is a permanent culture embedded within our health system,” he said.

The commissioner noted that the state’s preparedness framework was first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and further strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abayomi explained that the response architecture is anchored on the Lagos State Incident Command System, headed by Sanwo-Olu as Incident Commander, to ensure rapid deployment of government resources and seamless coordination during emergencies.

He added that the Lagos State Emergency Operations Centre remained operational round-the-clock, carrying out disease surveillance and gathering real-time intelligence.

He noted that the centre functions through trained epidemiologists and disease surveillance specialists who could be deployed swiftly for outbreak investigation and containment.

The commissioner said the Lagos Mainland Hospital, also known as the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, had sustained a high level of readiness with infectious disease experts.

The hospital, he said, has dedicated triage systems, isolation infrastructure and intensive care facilities for managing varying degrees of infectious disease cases.

He further disclosed that the Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory and Biobank Facility within the hospital had heightened surveillance operations for the diagnosis and monitoring of high-risk pathogens in collaboration with local and international public health laboratories.

According to him, the state government is also working with Port Health Authorities at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, as well as land and sea entry points.

The commissioner said the state was working in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and Nigeria Institute of Medical Research.

He said all flights arriving from Central and East Africa were receiving increased public health scrutiny as part of precautionary measures aimed at strengthening early detection and risk mitigation.

Abayomi also revealed that community health workers, Community Development Associations and civil society organisations had been integrated Into the state’s disease surveillance and early warning network to ensure timely transmission of information from communities to public health authorities.

He added that emergency stockpiles, including personal protective equipment, gloves, sanitisers and other critical supplies, had been strategically positioned across key locations, while ambulance services remained on standby to support rapid response operations.

“Our focus remains firmly on prevention, early detection, prompt reporting and swift multi-sectoral response. Lagos remains vigilant, organised and safe,” he said.

The commissioner assured residents that the state government would continue to collaborate closely with the Federal Government and the NCDC to provide timely and evidence-based updates as the situation develops.

He advised residents, particularly those who recently travelled to affected areas in Congo or Uganda or had close contact with persons returning from those countries, to seek medical guidance promptly if they experience health concerns.

The commissioner urged residents to contact emergency numbers 767 or 112, or reach the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health at the Lagos State Ministry of Health on 08023169485 for assistance and information. (NAN)

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