) The Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, says the state is partnering with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) to ensure Ebola Virus prevention and preparedness in the 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 gave the update 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 Gov. Peter Mbah had been very supportive and backed all preparedness efforts to ensure Enugu State and South-East remained protected and safe.
According to him, the zone is shoring up its preparedness and readiness level to prevent Ebola by tightening its 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.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NCDC had designated Enugu as a state with High Importation Risk due to Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.
It also reports that the World Health Organization (WHO) supported by the US-Government is battling the outbreak of Ebola Virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda. (NAN)
