LAGOS — The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Lagos State Government have jointly intensified Ebola surveillance operations at Murtala Muhammed International Airport. Thisday reported the development on Monday. The enhanced measures come after the NCDC formally upgraded Nigeria’s Ebola risk classification to high.
FAAN said all international arrivals are now subject to enhanced screening protocols including temperature checks, symptom questionnaires, and travel history verification. Passengers arriving from DRC, Uganda, and South Sudan face additional scrutiny including mandatory health declaration forms and observation for 21 days if they report potential exposure.
Lagos State Commissioner for Health Prof. Akin Abayomi said the state has deployed additional health officials to the airport to support FAAN’s screening operations. He said MMIA is Nigeria’s highest-risk entry point for imported infectious diseases given its volume of international traffic.
Airport Readiness
Health authorities confirmed that isolation facilities at MMIA have been upgraded and restocked with personal protective equipment. Rapid diagnostic test kits for Ebola have been pre-positioned at the airport health unit. A direct communications line to the NCDC emergency operations centre has been established for rapid escalation of suspected cases.
The WHO has commended Nigeria’s response posture, noting that the country’s 2014 Ebola containment success was partly built on strong airport entry screening. Officials said the lessons from 2014 are being applied rigorously to the current heightened alert.
Nigeria still has no confirmed Ebola cases as of Tuesday. However, with 900 suspected cases in DRC and confirmed spread to Uganda, health officials said the window for a pre-crisis response is available now and must be fully utilised.
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