Ebola: Gov. Mbah partnering NCDC to ensure Ebola prevention in Enugu, South-East – Commissioner

Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, says Gov. Peter Mbah is partnering Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to ensure Ebola Virus prevention and preparedness in the state and South-East.

Ugwu, who is a Member of the Presidential Task Force Committee on Ebola Prevention and Preparedness, said this on Thursday at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

He said this shortly after a high-level Ebola Prevention Meeting between the Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris; officials of Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Enugu State Ministry of Health.

The commissioner said that the governor had been very supportive and given backing to all preparedness efforts to ensure Enugu State and South-East remained protected and safe.

According to him, we are obviously shoring up our preparedness and readiness to prevent Ebola through tightening our health security measures.

“At this period, we are working hard at the levels of the Presidential Task Force Committee, the zone and Enugu State to ensure that our readiness and preparedness measures are improved the way it should be.

“The Akanu Ibiam International Airport is very important to us. We want to see and bring our preparedness on Ebola virus prevention to be at par or better than what is obtainable in Abuja and Lagos.

“This is why the high-level meeting is very important,” he said.

Ugwu said that capacity building and simulation had been done involving Port Health officials, the state health ministry staff, health partners and other stakeholders.

He said, “We are already planning another round of capacity building and simulation at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport.

“It will be a continuous thing to make all our team members and stakeholders to be on top of their game to maintain protocol at optimal level, be cautious and diligent.

“We are doing more on residents education and awareness as well as producing awareness materials and distribute same both physically and electronically.”

It would be recalled that the NCDC had designated Enugu State as a state with High Importation Risk due to Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) supported by the US-Government is battling outbreak of Ebola Virus in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda.