By Daniel Tyokua
The Federal Government has confirmed a case of Ebola disease in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following laboratory confirmation of the infection.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said the patient, a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria on an international flight from Uganda, was receiving treatment at an isolation facility.
According to the minister, the woman had spent several days at a private hospital in Abuja before the infection was confirmed.
Pate said the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), and the FCT Health and Environmental Services Secretariat were coordinating efforts to contain the infection and prevent further transmission.
He disclosed that contact tracing had commenced, with 44 close contacts identified so far, including healthcare workers, patients, caregivers and travel contacts.
The minister added that surveillance had been intensified, while the hospital involved was receiving support to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.
He urged public and private healthcare facilities across the country to remain on high alert, promptly isolate suspected cases, strictly observe infection prevention protocols and immediately report suspected infections to the relevant public health authorities.
Pate assured Nigerians that the government was taking necessary steps to contain the infection and prevent its spread.
He also urged citizens to maintain good hygiene and remain vigilant, advising anyone who suspects exposure to the disease to seek prompt medical attention.
