Nigerian epidemiologists should lead Ebola response, expert tells FG

Dr Peter Adewuyi, a senior field epidemiologist, has advised the Nigerian government to rely on its trained epidemiologists to contain the Ebola outbreak in the country. On Tuesday, the government confirmed a single case of Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Adewuyi, who led contact tracing efforts during Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, believes the country's 500 epidemiologists are capable of managing the current response.

He emphasized that the government should allow the epidemiologists to perform their duties. Adewuyi expressed concern that the Ebola case was detected later than the recommended period, as Nigeria follows a 7-1-7 surveillance benchmark. This benchmark aims to detect, report, and address public health threats within seven days each.

However, the detection of the current Ebola case took eight to nine days, causing worry about the country's response. Adewuyi reiterated that Nigeria does not require external epidemiologists for the response, as the African Field Epidemiology Network is already assisting the NCDC in strengthening its field operations.