By Zainab Bakare
The World Health Organization (WHO) has assured that Nigeria currently faces a low risk of an Ebola outbreak, even as health authorities intensify surveillance and response measures to contain the disease in affected parts of Africa.
Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, Chikwe Ihekweazu, made the disclosure on Tuesday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show.
According to Ihekweazu, Uganda remains the only country outside the Democratic Republic of the Congo to have recorded confirmed Ebola cases.
“Uganda is the only country with confirmed Ebola cases outside the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria’s risk is low,” he said.
Despite the relatively low threat level to Nigeria, Ihekweazu warned that the outbreak remains a serious international public health challenge requiring a coordinated global response.
“This Ebola outbreak is serious and requires an internationally coordinated response. It has already spread to other countries,” he stated.
The WHO official noted that the scale and cross-border implications of the outbreak led to its classification as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), the highest level of global health alert issued by the organization.
“It is only the ninth time in history that an outbreak has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” he said.
Ihekweazu, who previously served as Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, explained that the current outbreak marks only the third occasion Ebola has met the criteria for such a declaration.
“This is the third time Ebola has met this criterion. There are over 300 confirmed cases spread throughout the DR Congo,” he added.
Ebola is a severe viral haemorrhagic fever that affects humans and other primates. The disease spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated materials and has been responsible for several deadly outbreaks across Africa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo is currently battling a major Ebola epidemic that has reportedly claimed at least 246 lives across the country and neighbouring Uganda, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
As part of efforts to contain the outbreak, authorities on May 23 suspended all commercial flights to and from Bunia Airport in eastern DR Congo’s Ituri Province, restricting access to medical and humanitarian flights only.
Health experts continue to urge vigilance across the region as containment efforts intensify to prevent further international spread of the disease.
