Below is the State House press
release…
President Goodluck Ebele
Jonathan Friday in Abuja
declared the control and
containment of the Ebola
virus in Nigeria, a National
Emergency.
Accordingly, the President
has directed the Federal
Ministry of Health to work in
collaboration with the State
Ministries of Health, the
National Centre for Disease
Control (NCDC), the National
Emergency Management
Agency (NEMA) and other
relevant agencies to ensure
that all possible steps are
taken to effectively contain
the threat of the Ebola virus
in line with international
protocols and best practices.
Continue…
President Jonathan also
approved a Special
Intervention Plan and the
immediate release of N1. 9
billion for its
implementation, to further
strengthen on-going steps to
contain the virus such as the
establishment of additional
isolation centres, case
management, contact
tracing, deployment of
additional personnel,
screening at borders, and the
procurement of required
items and facilities.
The President commends the
vigilance of aviation and
health authorities in Lagos
who identified and isolated
the index case in Nigeria, the
late Patrick Sawyer, an
American-Liberian who flew
into the country.
He also applauds the good
work of health authorities at
both State and Federal levels
who have traced persons
who had contact with him,
isolated other identified
cases and embarked on
massive public
enlightenment.
President Jonathan calls for
even greater vigilance and
co-operation at all levels to
stop the Ebola virus from
spreading further.
As the effective
implementation of the
Federal Government’s
Special Intervention Plan will
require other stakeholders to
take certain precautionary
steps that are supportive of
the government’s initiative,
the President calls on
members of the public to
follow all directives by health
authorities and report any
suspected Ebola case to the
nearest health facility for
immediate medical attention.
He also enjoins the public to
desist from spreading false
information about Ebola
which can lead to mass
hysteria, panic and
misdirection, including
unverified suggestions about
the prevention, treatment,
cure and spread of the virus.
President Jonathan urges
that the movement of
corpses from one community
to the other, and from
overseas into the country
should be stopped forthwith.
Every death should be
reported to the relevant
authorities, and special
precautions should be taken
in handling corpses.
Religious and political
groups, spiritual healing
centres, families,
associations and other
bodies should, in the
meantime, discourage
gatherings and activities that
may unwittingly promote
close contact with infected
persons or place others at
risk.
Public enlightenment
agencies, including privately-
owned media organs should
support government’s efforts
and disseminate correct
information in all Nigerian
languages, about preventive
personal hygiene measures,
the nature of the Ebola virus,
modes of transmission and
consequential steps to be
taken in the event of
infection.
President Jonathan appeals
to State governments and
private day care, nursery,
primary and secondary
schools owners to consider
the option of extending the
current school holiday until
such a time when a national
reassessment of the level of
the Ebola threat is
conducted.
The President further directs
the National Emergency
Management Agency and
similar agencies at the state
level to strengthen their
public enlightenment
campaigns and to use their
networks to distribute hand
sanitisers and other
protective items nationwide.
He has also directed the
aviation and health
authorities to embark on
immediate intensification of
the screening of travelers at
all the nation’s borders.
President Jonathan
reassures everyone that the
Government of Nigeria will
continue to take every step,
deploy all resources, and
mobilize every support and
assistance to check the
spread of Ebola in the
country.
Medical workers and other
health professionals are
expected to regard this
declaration of a National
Emergency as a patriotic call
to duty and service.
Reuben Abati
Special Adviser to the President
(Media and Publicity)
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