Lagos | September 11, 2025
The Lagos State Government has activated its Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) Incident Management Structure (IMS) as part of heightened preventive measures against any possible outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the state.
The activation followed an emergency meeting held on September 9 at the Mainland Hospital, Yaba, in response to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where 28 suspected cases and 15 deaths, including four health workers, have been reported.
During the meeting, officials reviewed an epidemiological overview of the DRC outbreak and assessed preparedness across key areas such as surveillance, infection prevention and control (IPC), case management, laboratory capacity, evacuation, risk communication, logistics, and budget.
Speaking after the session, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, represented by the Director of Epidemiology, Biosecurity and Global Health, Dr. Ismail Abdus-Salam, said the move was proactive given Lagos’ position as a major gateway city with three international points of entry.
According to him, Lagos is “largely ready,” with an isolation centre capable of accommodating 14 to 18 beds each for suspected and confirmed cases. He disclosed that training for frontline health workers across all pillars will commence immediately, while validated Ebola fact sheets and advisories will be distributed to doctors, nurses, laboratory scientists, and other health professionals in both public and private facilities.
Ogboye urged Lagos residents not to panic, assuring that adequate control measures were in place. He, however, advised the public to observe strict hand hygiene, maintain environmental sanitation, and promptly report suspected cases, particularly among travellers from outbreak regions. “The Ebola virus spreads through direct contact with blood, body fluids, or contaminated items of an infected person. Anyone with fever, sore throat, or malaria-like symptoms who has recently travelled to affected regions should report immediately to 767 or 112,” he emphasised.
Meanwhile, the Officer-in-Charge of Port Health Services at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Dr. Abdullahi Lawal, said surveillance and IPC measures had been intensified at the airports. He explained that all aviation stakeholders, including immigration, customs, and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), had been sensitised on EVD symptoms to ensure early detection.
Lawal commended the Lagos State Government’s collaboration with federal agencies at the airport, adding that continuous vigilance was necessary to prevent Ebola’s re-entry into Nigeria.
