President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan today in Abuja declared the control and containment of the Ebola virus in Nigeria, a National Emergency, on a day that the governor of Lagos State where the first Ebola incident was recorded, visited the isolation ward for victims at the Mainland Hospital. It also coincided with the closure of a clinic in Victoria Island, Lagos, being operated by the state-owned oil corporation, the NNPC, after it was found that an Ebola suspect was receiving treatment there.
President Jonathan’s emergency declaration was in line with the directive by the World Health Organisation, WHO, which has asked nations hit by the virus to declare national emergencies. On its part, WHO has declared the virus outbreak a global emergency, with close to 1000 deaths recorded in West Africa and Saudi Arabia, and with the infections spreading to Benin Republic.
Jonathan directed the Federal Ministry of Health to work in collaboration with the State Ministries of Health, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant agencies to ensure that all possible steps are taken to effectively contain the threat of the Ebola virus in line with international protocols and best practices.
President Jonathan also approved a Special Intervention Plan and the immediate release of N1. 9 billion, about $12 million, for its implementation, to further strengthen on-going steps to contain the virus such as the establishment of additional isolation centres, case management, contact tracing, deployment of additional personnel, screening at borders, and the procurement of required items and facilities.
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