YOBE, Nigeria – Yobe State has activated its public health emergency management system and strengthened cross-border surveillance as part of preparations against a possible Ebola outbreak, although the government says it has not recorded any cases.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Mohammed Lawan Gana, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Hadiza Sabo, announced the measures during a media briefing in Damaturu on Monday.
Sabo said the government had developed an emergency preparedness and response plan and was implementing six technical pillars recommended by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC).
The measures are coordinated through the state’s Emergency Operations Centre and cover epidemiology and surveillance, case management, infection prevention and control, laboratory services, risk communication and community engagement, and points of entry.
Given Yobe’s international border, the state is also strengthening coordination with transport operators and relevant border authorities to improve detection and reporting of potential public health threats. “Yobe State shares an international border; consequently, the state is strengthening cross-border surveillance and coordination with transport and relevant border authorities at key entry points,” Sabo said.
She said the measures were intended to support early detection, timely reporting and a prompt response to possible disease outbreaks.
The government urged residents to maintain good hand hygiene, avoid direct contact with the bodily fluids of people showing symptoms and report unusual illnesses or deaths to the nearest health facility. “Our message is simple; Ebola is real, but it is preventable and controllable,” Sabo said.
The state government also warned against spreading rumours or unverified information on social media, urging residents to rely on updates from the State Ministry of Health, the NCDC and other official sources. It said misinformation could cause unnecessary panic and undermine public health efforts.
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