Ebola: NCDC Approves N100,000 Weekly Payments For Contacts, Uncovers Two New Suspected Cases
- NCDC will pay people in Ebola isolation or quarantine N100,000 weekly to help cover food, accommodation and family costs
- One confirmed imported Ebola case has 53 identified contacts under monitoring during the 21-day incubation period
- NCDC urged states to strengthen emergency readiness and asked Nigerians to avoid rumours and cooperate with health teams
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Pascal Oparada is a journalist with Legit.ng, covering technology, energy, stocks, investment, and the economy for over a decade.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly payment of N100,000 per person for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine following a reported Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The emergency financial intervention is intended to ease the burden on affected individuals and their families while health officials intensify surveillance and contact tracing to prevent further infections.
Source: Getty Images
Speaking during a press briefing on Sunday, NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the decision followed complaints from contacts struggling with feeding, accommodation and family expenses during monitoring.
Why NCDC approved N100,000 weekly payments
Idris explained that the financial support was not initially included in the agency's emergency response budget but became necessary to encourage compliance with public health measures.
“We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families,” he said.
“We are providing N100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining.”
He stressed that the arrangement remained an emergency intervention subject to periodic review.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” Idris added.
Ebola: 53 contacts identified as surveillance intensifies
According to the NCDC chief, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed Ebola case, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring.
Those under surveillance include healthcare workers, household members, domestic employees and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.
Public health teams are assessing contacts according to their exposure levels and monitoring them throughout the 21-day incubation period following their last possible exposure, according to a Punch report.
Idris disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell subsequently tested negative.
The agency is also strengthening infection prevention measures in hospitals, training healthcare workers and ensuring the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.
How an imported Ebola case was detected in Abuja
The reported confirmed case involves a woman who travelled from Uganda to Nigeria and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus.
She reportedly developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and received a positive test result on October 20.
The World Health Organisation reportedly classified the infection as imported, with investigations continuing to establish the likely source of exposure.
NCDC warns states to prepare for emergencies
Idris urged state governments to strengthen their emergency preparedness, stressing that financial and logistical support should not be limited to Abuja.
“This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” he said.
Source: Getty Images
Drawing lessons from Nigeria's successful containment of Ebola in 2014, he called for cooperation among health workers, government agencies and the public.
He also urged Nigerians to avoid rumours, rely on verified health information and cooperate with surveillance teams.
FG places 15 Nigerian states on Ebola alert
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Federal Government has raised concerns over the preparedness of 15 Nigerian states to respond to Ebola, directing hospitals nationwide to establish isolation capacity and strengthen infection prevention measures following the confirmation of an imported case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The directive comes amid intensified surveillance and contact tracing, as health authorities move to prevent the virus from spreading beyond the confirmed patient.
Source: Legit.ng
