Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Academy of Medical Sciences of Nigeria has urged Nigerians to adopt non-contact greetings and avoid unnecessary physical contact as part of precautionary measures following the confirmation of an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a public health advisory issued on Tuesday, the academy recommended avoiding handshakes, hugs and other unnecessary physical contact while maintaining regular hand hygiene and following official public health guidance.
The academy endorsed the Federal Government’s response to the confirmed case involving a woman who recently arrived in Nigeria from Uganda. It commended the prompt isolation of the patient, the commencement of contact tracing and the intensification of surveillance.
The advisory was jointly signed by the academy’s President, Emeritus Professor Osato Giwa-Osagie; Foundation President, Professor Oladapo A. Ashiru; and Rapid Response Committee member, Professor Boaz Adegboro. The experts urged the Federal Government to extend heightened preparedness measures nationwide, drawing on Nigeria’s successful containment of Ebola in 2014 and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They called for enhanced screening at airports, seaports and land borders, particularly for travellers arriving from countries affected by Ebola, alongside the activation of isolation and treatment centres across states.
Experts urge stronger hospital preparedness
The academy stressed the need for strict infection prevention and control measures in public and private healthcare facilities, adequate personal protective equipment for health workers and close monitoring of identified contacts.
It urged healthcare professionals to maintain a high index of suspicion, promptly isolate anyone suspected of having Ebola and immediately report suspected cases to public health authorities.
The advisory identified fever, severe weakness, headache, vomiting and diarrhoea as symptoms requiring attention, particularly among people who may have been exposed to the virus.
Anyone who suspects exposure or develops symptoms should contact public health authorities before visiting a healthcare facility to reduce the risk of exposing others.
Public urged to understand transmission risks
The academy said Ebola is not an airborne disease and explained that transmission occurs through direct contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person who has developed symptoms, the body of someone who has died from the disease, or materials contaminated with such fluids.
It also stated that an infected person cannot transmit Ebola before symptoms begin.
The experts advised Nigerians to wash their hands regularly with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitisers, avoid contact with the body fluids of sick people and refrain from handling the bodies of people suspected to have died from Ebola.
They called for full cooperation with contact-tracing teams and warned against spreading rumours or stigmatising suspected cases. The advisory urged Nigerians to rely on information from official health authorities and directed the public to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention’s toll-free number, 6232, which is available around the clock.
The academy’s recommendations form part of wider efforts to promote early detection, strengthen preparedness and reduce the risk of further transmission following Nigeria’s confirmed case.
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Korede Abdullah 
