May 24, 2018

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it has taken proactive measures to create public awareness on prevention of Ebola disease.
The Director of Public Health in the Health and Human Services Secretariat, FCTA, Dr Humphrey Okoroukwu, made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Okoroukwu explained that there was no Ebola in Nigeria but the outbreak of the disease had occurred in Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) and won’t wait until there was case in Nigeria before taking necessary actions.
NAN reports that Ebola had claimed 27 lives since it was reported in DR Congo and WHO had warned that the 2018 outbreak has been complicated because it involved rural and urban areas which could raise chances of spread both nationally and internationally.
The director said that his department had inaugurated Public Emergency Centre and had trained relevant officers on how to manage emergency cases.
He disclosed that Core Disease Surveillance Officers were being trained currently to equip them with necessary knowledge on emergency cases such as Ebola.
Okoroukwu stated that his department would soon commence facility based clinical sensitisation to educate health workers on universal precautions against Ebola.
“FCT is a capital of the country that hosts different persons from various parts of the country and the world, that’s why we need to be more proactive.
“We have started public awareness campaign to reawaken people’s consciousness and we are doing that carefully in order not to create panic.
“Next week, we shall commence the training of our Disease Surveillance officers from the six area councils of the FCT with the support of WHO,” he said.
Besides, the director said that handbills and posters concerning Ebola have been printed for distribution to hospitals and health centres in FCT to raise public awareness.
Okoroukwu urged residents of FCT and Nigerians to imbibe culture of cleanliness by ensuring regular hand washing and desist from eating of monkeys.
He said that Ebola was a deadly virus which spreads fast and kills quickly, but it could be prevented.