Nigeria: Ebola - Govt Urges Nigerians to Embrace Self-Care, Warns Against Spread

Nigeria's Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammed Ali Pate, has urged the public not to panic over the recent Ebola outbreak in the country. At a meeting with the Chief of Staff to the President, Pate confirmed that a woman who recently arrived from Uganda, having received treatment at a private hospital in Abuja, tested positive for the disease.

The Federal Government is working closely with Uganda and other relevant authorities to address the situation, Pate explained, assuring Nigerians that the nation possesses competent health institutions to manage the crisis. He emphasized that the government has previously dealt with similar situations in the past. Pate stated that the primary focus is on finding the single case, conducting contact tracing, and implementing containment measures to prevent the disease from spreading further.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and cautious, but not to panic, while respecting public health information from trusted sources. The National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) is operating a 24/7 incident management system, and a task force is actively working on the matter.