NCDC DG Shares Insights On Raising Awareness & Safeguarding Against Ebola Disease

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:08][music] >> Hello and a warm welcome to Health Matters. I'm Jome Otigwe. I trust you're keeping safe. You may have heard of the outbreak of Ebola virus disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo where it is two confirmed cases have been recorded and seven confirmed deaths. As it stands, the World Health Organization has raised the risk as very high in the DRC with about 750 suspected cases and 177 suspected deaths. Neighboring Uganda is also dealing with some cases of the disease.

[00:00:49]Currently, Nigeria has not recorded any case of Ebola, but how prepared is the country the country's health system for any possible case as the WHO assessed the regional risk as high.

[00:01:04]What do you, yes, you as an individual need to do to stay protected against the disease? We'll be sharing facts around Ebola, how it actually spreads, and most importantly, how you can protect yourself and loved ones.

[00:01:18]Do keep it locked on Channels Television.

[00:01:23]>> [music] >> It's easy for the fear of the Ebola virus to travel much faster than the virus itself. But, here's the thing about fear, it usually thrives in the gaps where information is missing. To share with us valuable information on Ebola prevention, separating the facts from the myth, I'm now being joined from our Abuja studio by the Deputy Director, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Olaluyu Adewole. Dr. Olaluyu is also the deputy lead for the Ebola virus disease and other viral hemorrhagic fevers technical working group at the NCDC. He has served in various capacities including the incident manager for the 2017-2018 meningitis outbreak season.

[00:02:17]He led Nigeria's coronavirus preparedness group at the NCDC before the COVID-19 outbreak.

[00:02:24]Dr. Olaleye is a fellow of the public health emergency management program of the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia. He is also accredited trainer on the public health emergency operation center. That's a WHO accredited trainer.

[00:02:43]You are most welcome to Health Matters.

[00:02:49]Good afternoon, Yemi, and thank you for having me. Good afternoon to Nigerians.

[00:02:53]Thank you for your time. It's been 12 years ago Nigeria dealt with our share of Ebola outbreak, and you'll agree with me that that's some time ago.

[00:03:04]Let's start by refreshing the minds of our viewers on what Ebola is and how it is transmitted.

[00:03:13]So, Ebola disease is a viral disease.

[00:03:16]It's often severe and fatal. It's called killed about 25 persons out of a hundred and up to 90.

[00:03:27]So, it's a fatal disease that needs to be responded to appropriately, but that response has to do with people knowing what this disease is and um the current outbreak we have in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda is what's is from the strain that we call the Bundibugyo virus. There are other strains. We have the Ebola Zaire and Ebola Sudan. And looking at the symptoms of and signs of Ebola virus disease are usually the usual symptoms of a probably malaria typhoid that you usually have.

[00:04:05]So, it starts with sudden onset of fever, you have headache, malaise, body pain, sore throat, body weakness. Then it now it could now progress to persons now having diarrhea, vomiting, which is really the wet phase. Then it could also affect multiple organs in the body that will now lead to persons having bleeding affecting kidneys and the liver. So, those are the signs and symptoms of Ebola virus disease, but the key thing is that once these symptoms come up, people should move to their health practitioners so that adequate care can be taken, tests can be done to diagnose what the disease is.

[00:04:54]So, it's for the public to avoid self-medication and uh Okay, let's go back to let's briefly go back to how it is transmitted because that is very key. People need to know what to do and how to go about doing what they need to do.

[00:05:17]Okay, so for the transmission, okay, so usually at the inception of an outbreak of Ebola it usually it's usually comes from animals, usually the fruit bat in the wild. And once it's in the fruit bat because those are the natural natural reservoirs. So, the persons who usually have this hunters who would have been in contact with a sick or dead animal that you now bring it in, they would have touched the the animal, then they now have the disease. So, it's usually a it's a disease that is transmitted by direct contact. So, direct contact with an infected animal and once that person is has it, that person can now move to the home where that person can also have contact. So, it's from body fluids of the person that is infected and also surfaces in which that person must have also spilled some of those secretions in in the body. That transmission is is is contact and the most way that people have this is by their hands touching surfaces or dead animals that don't that are that are ill. So, and also from body secretions or even contaminated objects. So, clothes of persons who have had Ebola, anything they have touched, the virus is on it. And once people hold this, they can now have that disease.

[00:06:42]So, uh is is direct contact essentially.

[00:06:47]Okay, and you mentioned hunters, you know, maybe those who go for antelope and all of that. And perhaps someone watching us in the city is thinking, "Okay, it's it's nothing for me to worry about.

[00:07:01]I don't have to take those precautions that those people in in the rural areas would take." What would you say to such a person?

[00:07:11]Uh so, so everyone really needs to be vigilant. We should know the source of those uh bush meats that people are getting. And the thing is that once that hunter probably gets it, the first persons that the person will be in contact with will be the family members who will try to take care of the person uh initially. By touching them, they give the opportunity for the disease to now be to be to be transmitted to other persons. Those persons can now It now depends on where they go to. Some will go to traditional healers uh before they now go to health facilities. So, we have that the outbreak now spreading in the communities. By the time it now comes to the health facilities, if the health care workers are not observing standard infection prevention and control methods, they can now also contract it.

[00:08:01]And uh that that's where it's now So, then the other thing is uh when people now die, not having safe burial uh methods based on religious and cultural practices can now be a medium for people to now be infected. So, burials now all could also uh make persons to uh contract disease and make the outbreak to spread faster.

[00:08:25]Mhm. Talking about burials, I I I I'm sure you've seen the news uh what happened in the DRC um where some angry crowd, you know, they're demanding for the body of, you know, their brother that died. And in the in in in all of that, they set the um treatment center the the tent, you know, that was being used for treatment um on on fire. And this speaks to some people who have talked about, you know, some uh conspiracy theories. Oh, this is just cooked up for some people to um decimate some, you know, all of those theories. Let's speak to uh the fact that Ebola is, you know, something that we all need to to take great care about.

[00:09:16]Yeah, so the So, the uh really to control Ebola is really getting the trust of the people, getting the trust of the community even before an outbreak occurs. So, for us in Nigeria, it's to really get in touch with uh influencers, the religious leaders, the traditional leaders, and also for people to really understand how the disease is transmitted and how to prevent prevent the disease. The thing is that we we want to preserve our cultural and religious practices. So, it's for the health professionals to really have a dialogue with all these influential persons and the community members on how the disease is transmitted while recognizing and respecting the cultural practices. So, if this information goes uh well with the people, they understand how it's transmitted and the reason why that needs to be done, there are ways in which the the persons can still be buried in a dignified manner. That's why we call it safe and dignified burial. So, in terms of for persons to be buried, you need to put them in body bags. So, the color really matters. The processes that needs to be done, we need to explain to them, discuss with our religious clerics, the traditional rulers on what needs to be done, what can be acceptable before the the processing of the body and also the committal to to earth depending on the culture. So, it's really persons understanding this. Once they understand it, then we'll be able to get about once we leave room for misinformation and this is not addressed and also understanding the community practices, it will now be a hindrance and it will make the outbreak to propagate and the help needed by the community will not be made available because health care workers will also be scared of working there because they need safe places to work. But the persons who are family members, they need to bid farewell to their beloved ones which is really understandable. So, there's empathy that should be in that process to gain the people's trust for this to be done effectively and to control the outbreak on time.

[00:11:33]Okay. Uh let me remind our viewers that you can join us in this conversation.

[00:11:38]You have questions, you have comments.

[00:11:40]Um you can join us on 0808 0542233 08080542233.

[00:11:50]Um Dr. Aliyu, how prepared is Nigeria for you know, the possible emergency, you know, from Ebola?

[00:12:03]Okay. So, looking at the preparation of Nigeria, we usually monitor public health events globally on a daily basis at Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. And we also share what we have with the states depending on where it occurs. So, looking at the preparedness is to really know where is the source of this outbreak, what are the things we need to put in place. So, for us, we've done a risk assessment to look at the possible areas of how an importation could actually occur, and that could come into airports at points of entry. So, the Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, they have a meeting extensively with also airport authorities and those at the land borders to ensure that we can screen effectively at our port health at points of entry, ensuring that there's no disruption to passenger movement and flights because there's no restriction for persons coming in and out, but there's a need for collaboration among countries, especially the countries that are having these outbreaks. So, for us, it's really one at our points of health.

[00:13:09]The second thing is now for health care workers to be aware that there's an outbreak in the country, and they need to step up their standard infection prevention and control measures.

[00:13:19]So, this is not a time you just touch our patients, and you don't observe the Uh, preventive methods that needs to be taken into account while we are treating uh uh patients. So, high index of suspicion is important. Then also not to knowing the case definitions, who is a case. So, we are not just going to uh uh to to treat persons without having that high index of suspicion, protecting yourselves, using the adequate uh personal protective equipment. And once a case is known to know the pathways to be referred to within the states, which will be to the uh state epidemiologist in the local government, it will be disease surveillance and notification officer. So, the other things we are also ramping up uh the logistics, the supplies that will be needed to ensure that uh persons are protected at our points of entry, health care facilities, ensuring that guidelines are now disseminated to uh health care workers to remind them of what needs to be done, and uh to ensure that we don't uh uh uh create panic. Then the other uh aspect is also our risk communication and uh >> Hold Hold your thoughts, please. Uh we'll come back to what the health care workers need to do, but we have Hassan from Ilorin joining us. Uh Hassan, good to have you on the show. Go ahead with your question or comment.

[00:14:47]So, um my question here is you know, I think we had this Ebola case some years ago, and everything died down.

[00:14:55]And all of a sudden we had this case reoccurring again from uh DRC, Congo, and Uganda. So, the question is how did this disease or this virus, you know, came back again? Because it's something we ourselves that we're also looking to also, because it was gone already Africa, and how did it come back again?

[00:15:19]I hope you understand the question.

[00:15:21]All right, thank you, Hassan. Doctor, did you get that question? He wants to know how Ebola came back again.

[00:15:28]Not sure it ever left, anyway.

[00:15:29]>> Okay, so I I I got the question.

[00:15:32]As So So So the thing is that as we are as we are humans, there are bacteria, there are viruses, they're also propagating. The natural reservoir of Ebola virus is within fruit bats and other wild animals. So, if man doesn't go to the forest to hunt, then that means our risk of having that will be much lower. But since we also interact because we're in the same environment with animals, with the plants, and we need to coexist together.

[00:16:02]So, once they go to the forest, they can now contract, especially when they now see dead animals, sick animals, and take those home. So, when they take it home and it's not well prepared, and they and they are they are in contact with animals that are infected or their body secretions, then they can now contract it. So, once they contract it, they take it home. But you know the thing with Ebola is that the incubation period between 2 to 21 days. So, the person may not feel anything on the first day, maybe up to the 10th day before the person has having symptoms.

[00:16:38]And the person now will start passing it to another person because the initial symptoms will be headache, fever, and the person doesn't see it as something different. They may just feel this is just malaria. I'll take medications.

[00:16:51]I'll take a half to to to get better. But while in this period, the person can now transmit it.

[00:16:58]So, if the person transmits it when the person has symptoms. So, what the person touches, the body secretions the medium for transmission to other persons. So, if they don't go to a health facility on time and the health practitioners are I'm able to detect on time, then it gives room for uh for it to be transmitted and death can now occur. So, it's not like Ebola has left the world. Ebola the it's in the central western Africa, but more in the central African region in the forest, but man goes in to get this. So, it's not the Ebola is not wiped out.

[00:17:37]They are really in a reservoir and the bats they they just they have it, but they don't have any disease. But, when it now moves to other animals that now get sick, then we get uh we have contact with them, then it moves on. Okay. Now, we need to reiterate that prevention part of all of this discussion because that is very key.

[00:18:02]What would you say as we're winding down all of the things that we need to do to ensure that we prevent Ebola from from coming into the country and of course in case it happens, you know, what we all need to do.

[00:18:16]So, one we should not panic, we should not fear, we should not spread spread information that is not confirmed from verified health authorities. We should ensure that we keep our environments clean.

[00:18:30]Hand washing is very important because what the hand does is that when people touch surfaces and they don't wash their hands regularly, what happens is that the virus or the germ is on the hands.

[00:18:42]And when it's on the hands, what usually happens is that we touch our eyes, our nose, and our mouths. So, and those are gives opportunity for diseases to now enter into our body. So, hand washing is very important for the public. Hand washing hand hygiene is important at all times for health care workers, is also very important. If you are sick, do not self take self-medication. Go to a health care facility. The health care workers will examine you and while health care workers are also doing that, they should also not let their guards down in terms of standard infection prevention and control measures. And if there's a suspected case, they report to the next level of the health authority to have an investigation to be done. And once you have a suspect cases, those cases should now be isolated safely so that the the disease doesn't spread.

[00:19:34]Uh Personal protective equipment is very important for health care workers to ensure that they use it regularly at all times, not just because we've heard of Ebola. We need to make it a practice in offering services to people because we all we need to be alive and alive and well to be able to contribute to to the country. And health care authorities also working to ensure that all that is necessary and needed for the health care workers is made available for their PPEs and also to ensure that resources are available to that. There's capacity to test in the country. So once a sample is collected, they have capacity to test in the country at our national reference lab and other network laboratories in the country to ensure we pick this early and we respond on time.

[00:20:25]Thank you so much. Thank you. I've been having a chat with the Deputy Director, Health Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr. Olaolu Adetona. Thank you indeed for your time.

[00:20:42]Thank you so much for having me and this opportunity.

[00:20:46]All right. Let's now take you to our news corner for the latest stories.

[00:20:56]>> [music] >> The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, has destroyed counterfeit, expired, and substandard products valued at 1.8 billion naira at the stump site in the Kuja area council of the federal capital territory, Abuja. During the exercise, NAFTA's director of investigation and enforcement, Dr. Martins Zelumade, said the destroyed products include counterfeit medicines and expired items considered harmful to public health. He described the proliferation of counterfeit and unsafe products as a major threat to public safety and national security, adding that the destruction exercise reflects NAFTA's resolve to permanently remove dangerous products from circulation and prevent them from reentering the market.

[00:21:46]Recently, our people were attacked on the field while trying to mop up counterfeit medicine because the people know that they are going to lose, and they know that with us, with this administration, if we pick some see something from you, forget about it, it's not going back into the system. So, what we are doing today is to make sure that they don't get into cycled back into the system. This exercise we do it we carry it out annually because it's it's a lot of resources to get these these things done. So, what we do, we gather them annually, and but if the warehouse got filled before the time, we have to we have to do this destruction. And very soon, I can assure all Abuja people, we're going to have another one very soon because we have a major project coming up where we're going to mop up new sets.

[00:22:37]The chairman and chief executive officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Brigadier General Muhammad Marwa, is urging Nigerians to rise and counter the toxic pop culture that glamorizes the abuse of illicit substances as an acceptable way of life, especially among the youth. General Marwa gave the charge during the official commissioning of the agency's radio station in Abuja, as he challenged all stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians to join the NDLEA in its war against drug abuse, a social advocacy drive intended to save the youth population from the danger of normalizing the abuse of illicit drugs.

[00:23:13]He added that substance abuse is a hydra-headed monster that feeds insecurity, decimates public health, and compromises the very future of the nation's workforce.

[00:23:24]With the benefit of hindsight, I've always maintained that while enforcement wins battles, education and prevention win wars.

[00:23:38]True victory against the scourge of substance abuse cannot be achieved solely by the cold steel of handcuffs or the iron bars of a prison cell.

[00:23:52]It is won when we dismantle the demand.

[00:23:58]It is won when we conquer the ignorance that lures our children into the abyss of addiction.

[00:24:16]Humanitarian organizations are scaling up Ebola response operations in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as health authorities report rising cases in Ituri province with Bunia and Rwampara among the areas worst hit by the outbreak.

[00:24:39]Health workers are seen in biohazard suits moving bodies in white plastic bags at the Rwampara treatment center.

[00:24:45]Medical teams are working under strict biosecurity protocols to manage suspected and confirmed Ebola cases, as well as handle remains in line with emergency health procedures. The World Health Organization has assessed that the risk of a further spread remains high at both national and regional levels, particularly in the DRC and neighboring Uganda. WHO estimates suggest the outbreak, which has already caused more than 130 suspected deaths, could continue for at least two more months while response efforts are scaled up.

[00:25:28]>> [music] >> And that's how we wrap up health matters for this week. Remember to stay vigilant when it comes to Ebola and any other infectious disease and not be fearful.

[00:25:39]Thank you indeed for your time on the program. I am Yommy Otagbè. I'll see you next time.

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