By Desire Uzochukwu
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency allowance of N100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja.
The intervention is aimed at covering feeding, accommodation and other essential needs of people identified as contacts of the infected patient, following complaints about the financial burden of complying with public health monitoring arrangements.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing on Sunday, saying the agency introduced the payment to ensure that affected individuals could cooperate with containment measures without suffering additional financial hardship.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” Idris said.
He added: “We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”
Idris described the allowance as an emergency measure that was not originally included in the response plan but became necessary because of the circumstances surrounding the outbreak.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
States urged to strengthen emergency funding
The NCDC chief warned that the financial and logistical demands of containing infectious disease outbreaks should not be left to the Federal Capital Territory alone.
According to him, other states must be prepared to provide the resources required for contact tracing, isolation and related public health interventions should similar emergencies occur within their jurisdictions.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.
The statement places renewed emphasis on the readiness of state governments to fund emergency health responses, particularly when affected individuals need accommodation, food, monitoring and other forms of support to comply with isolation arrangements.
53 contacts identified
Nigeria had recorded one confirmed Ebola case as of the briefing, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring.
The contacts include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
Idris said health authorities were categorising the contacts according to their levels of exposure and conducting follow-up assessments. Anyone developing symptoms would be evaluated and tested.
One contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, he disclosed, adding that surveillance and follow-up activities were continuing.
The NCDC has established isolation arrangements for contacts requiring them and is monitoring exposed individuals throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure.
Imported infection triggers intensified surveillance
The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus.
She developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and was confirmed positive on October 20.
The World Health Organisation has described the infection as an imported case, while investigations continue to establish the likely source of exposure.
The regional outbreak has also affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, highlighting the importance of cross-border surveillance and rapid identification of people who may have been exposed.
The NCDC is strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training health workers and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
Public cooperation remains critical
Nigeria successfully contained an Ebola outbreak in 2014 through prompt case identification, contact tracing, isolation and coordinated public health action.
Idris said the agency was applying lessons from that experience while strengthening preparedness across the states.
He urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with public health officials carrying out contact tracing and monitoring.
The effectiveness of the current response will depend not only on surveillance and clinical preparedness but also on the ability of authorities to provide the practical and financial support necessary for exposed individuals to comply with public health measures.
