A veteran epidemiologist, Peter Adewuyi, has urged the Federal Government to place Nigeria’s estimated 500 trained epidemiologists at the forefront of efforts to contain the country’s newly confirmed Ebola case.
Adewuyi, who led contact-tracing operations during Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, said the country had sufficient public health professionals to coordinate the response without relying primarily on foreign experts.
Speaking on ARISE TV’s Morning Show on Thursday, he emphasised the need for authorities to empower local specialists to strengthen disease surveillance, identify exposed individuals and prevent further transmission.
His comments followed the confirmation of an imported Ebola case involving a woman in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, raising concerns about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s disease-detection and monitoring systems.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the patient developed symptoms on October 7, four days after arriving in Nigeria. She sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11, while laboratory tests confirmed the infection on October 20.
The patient is currently receiving treatment in isolation, while health authorities have identified 44 contacts who are being monitored for possible symptoms.
Delayed Detection Raises Concerns
Adewuyi expressed concern over the time it took to identify the infection, noting that early detection remains essential to controlling the spread of Ebola.
He referred to the “7-1-7” public health surveillance target, which requires health authorities to detect a suspected outbreak within seven days, notify the relevant authorities within one day and initiate an effective response within seven days.
According to him, although reporting and response efforts appeared satisfactory, the time taken to detect the infection was a significant concern.
He warned that delays in identifying cases could increase the risk of further transmission, particularly when infected individuals visit healthcare facilities before receiving a confirmed diagnosis.
Expert Calls for Greater Reliance on Local Professionals
The epidemiologist maintained that Nigeria should rely on its existing pool of trained specialists to lead the response.
He cited the African Field Epidemiology Network, which is supporting the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in deploying additional epidemiologists to affected areas and strengthening field operations.
Adewuyi also highlighted Nigeria’s Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response system, which provides a framework for identifying, reporting and managing infectious diseases through healthcare facilities, local government areas, state authorities and national institutions.
He said strengthening these existing structures would improve coordination and help authorities respond more effectively to public health emergencies.
Contact Tracing Remains Critical
Adewuyi stressed that contact tracing must cover everyone who may have come into contact with the infected woman before her diagnosis.
These include healthcare workers, other patients, cleaners, individuals responsible for preparing hospital rooms and anyone else who may have been exposed at the facilities where she received treatment.
He cautioned that the number of identified contacts could increase as investigations progress, urging anyone with relevant information to cooperate fully with health authorities.
Contact tracing is a critical component of Ebola control because it enables health officials to identify potentially exposed individuals, monitor their health and promptly isolate suspected cases.
Nigeria's Experience During the 2014 Ebola Outbreak
Nigeria successfully contained its 2014 Ebola outbreak after an infected traveller from Liberia arrived in Lagos.
The country recorded 19 laboratory-confirmed cases and one probable case, with eight deaths.
The World Health Organisation declared Nigeria free of Ebola transmission on October 20, 2014, after 42 days without a new case.
The Federal Government has since activated its emergency response arrangements following the latest imported infection, with the WHO and other partners supporting efforts to prevent further transmission.
The current regional outbreak involves the Ebola Bundibugyo virus, a strain for which no specifically licensed vaccine has been approved.
Health authorities are continuing surveillance, isolation and contact-tracing activities to contain the infection and minimise the risk to the public.
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