The National Biosafety Management Agency NBMA has assured Nigerians that it will support the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention NCDC to contain the imported Ebola case in the country.
The Director General of the Agency, Dr. Fatima Suleiman Zuntu, gave the assurance while reacting to the confirmed case in the Federal Capital Territory. She urged citizens to remain calm but vigilant.
NBMA is ready to deploy its biosafety and biosecurity experts to assist the NCDC and other response teams. She praised the Federal Ministry of Health, the FCT Health Services Secretariat, and their partners for their quick response.
She stated that Nigeria’s success in stopping Ebola in 2014 shows the importance of being prepared, working together, and relying on scientific evidence.
To keep everyone safe, the Director General advised Nigerians to follow official health guidelines. She urged people to wash their hands regularly, avoid touching the body fluids of sick people, and never handle the bodies of those suspected to have died from Ebola.
She also advised anyone with Ebola symptoms especially if they have traveled to an affected area or been in contact with a suspected case to quickly seek help from public health authorities and cooperate with contact tracing.
