NCDC cautions against politicising Ebola response, says no need for travel restrictions

The NCDC says no travel restrictions, election delays or gathering bans are needed over its single imported Ebola case and has warned against politicising the response.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has warned politicians and public commentators against politicising the country’s Ebola response, saying misinformation and panic could undermine confidence in disease control efforts, Leadership reports.

The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said in a statement on Monday that Nigeria’s response to its first imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease was guided by scientific evidence. The case was confirmed on October 20, within 24 hours of the alert, he said. There was no active case at the time of the statement, but all identified contacts were under daily monitoring until they finished the 21-day follow-up period.

Idris said the situation did not warrant postponing elections, banning mass gatherings or restricting movement. He said events could proceed if organisers followed the NCDC’s guidelines.

On the N10 billion emergency funding, he said it was meant to prepare for several epidemic-prone diseases, including Lassa fever, cholera and meningitis, not Ebola alone.