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Published 2 March 2021
AMID the COVID-19 pandemic that has plunged the world into an existential crisis, the dreaded Ebola Virus Disease has reared its ugly head again, first in Congo and now in Guinea. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, given the proximity of Guinea to Nigeria and other West African countries as well as other indicators, Nigeria is at a moderate risk of an Ebola outbreak. Therefore, measures must be put in place to ensure that the current COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to over 155,076 infections and 1,902 deaths, is not exacerbated.
According to the World Health Organisation, a delivery of 11,000 Ebola vaccines has arrived in Guinea, while 225 high-risk contacts and frontline health workers have been vaccinated. This is certainly the way to go. But Nigeria must also play its part by strengthening vigilance through the port health services and ensuring that symptomatic persons are not allowed in through the various bo