Ebola: FG Plans Treatment Centres in States as Contacts Rise to 53

The Federal Government has begun plans to identify and equip Ebola treatment centres in states with designated ports of entry as the number of people identified as contacts of Nigeria’s confirmed case rises to 53.

The measures are part of efforts to strengthen the country’s preparedness and prevent further spread of the disease.

According to an Ebola situation report obtained on Sunday, the government is assessing healthcare facilities to determine their capacity to isolate and treat suspected cases.

The University of Abuja Teaching Hospital has completed a needs assessment and optimisation exercise for isolation and treatment, while an infection prevention and control assessment is planned for Karu General Hospital in Abuja.

The report also identified the establishment of referral mechanisms for suspected cases as a priority, particularly arrangements for transferring patients from the point of detection to designated treatment centres.

It stated that treatment facilities would be identified and strengthened in states with designated ports of entry to ensure a coordinated response if additional cases are detected.

The development comes as the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) continues contact tracing following confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed on Sunday that 53 primary contacts had been identified and placed under monitoring.

According to him, 44 of the contacts were linked to the health facility where the patient received treatment, while nine others included household contacts and people who attended to her at another facility.

Idris said the agency was also identifying secondary contacts to establish whether any of the people already listed had exposed others to possible infection.

He added that the identified contacts were being monitored for symptoms, while health officials continued their investigations.

As part of the response, the NCDC has approved a weekly payment of N100,000 for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine to help cover feeding, accommodation and family expenses.

Idris said the intervention followed complaints from some contacts about the financial burden of complying with isolation arrangements.

“We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining,” he said.

The NCDC chief explained that the payment was an emergency measure and would be reviewed as the response progressed.

He also urged state governments to make adequate financial and logistical provisions for public health emergencies, stressing that preparedness should not be limited to the FCT.

Meanwhile, the government is strengthening surveillance at airports and other designated ports of entry, improving laboratory capacity and increasing the availability of personal protective equipment.

The measures also include training healthcare workers, strengthening infection prevention and control in hospitals, and improving public communication on Ebola symptoms and prevention.

The confirmed case involves a woman who returned to Nigeria after travelling to Uganda. She tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus on October 20, 2026.

According to the NCDC’s situation report dated October 24, no deaths had been recorded from the confirmed case, while none of the 53 identified contacts had tested positive or developed symptoms at the time of reporting.

Health authorities have urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and promptly report symptoms or suspected exposure to public health officials.