Urgent Health Forms: NCDC Mandates New Rules for Ebola-Zone Travellers

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has issued an interim public health advisory outlining strengthened surveillance measures to prevent the importation and spread of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria. As part of these measures, travellers arriving from countries experiencing active or relevant EVD transmission may now be required to complete Health Declaration Forms at points of entry. This decision follows a thorough assessment of the evolving epidemiological situation and extensive consultations with public health experts and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. Conversely, passengers from all other countries are currently exempt from this requirement.

The Health Declaration Forms are intended to facilitate enhanced public health surveillance and follow-up for individuals identified as being of public health interest. The NCDC has urged the public to remain vigilant for symptoms consistent with Ebola and to promptly seek medical attention if necessary. Furthermore, travellers and the general public are advised to provide relevant travel or exposure history to health authorities when applicable. Nigeria remains on high alert, with ongoing preparatory activities, and these measures will be continuously reviewed in response to changes in the epidemiological situation and public health risk assessments.

This advisory has been disseminated to key agencies, including the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Port Health Services, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, state ministries of health, the World Health Organisation, and Africa CDC. Previously, the NCDC had placed the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lagos, and eight other states on a high-risk alert due to an escalating outbreak of Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The agency had highlighted Nigeria's high risk of virus importation, attributing it to ongoing regional transmission, increased cross-border movement, international travel, porous land borders, and major transport hubs.

The states identified as high-risk include Lagos, FCT, Rivers, Kano, Enugu, Borno, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Taraba, and Adamawa. Additionally, Ogun, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Plateau, Kogi, Niger, Jigawa, Katsina, Bauchi, Ebonyi, Abia, and Bayelsa were designated as moderate-risk states. These classifications were made following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) declaration of the DRC outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), underscoring its severity and potential for cross-border threat.

The NCDC has reiterated that Ebola is not an airborne disease. It spreads exclusively through direct contact with the body fluids of infected persons, contaminated materials, or infected animals. Early symptoms of Ebola include fever, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, unexplained bleeding, and signs of shock. Health workers have been specifically cautioned not to delay suspecting Ebola in patients presenting with compatible symptoms and a relevant travel history, even in the absence of bleeding. To coordinate preparedness efforts with federal and state governments, the NCDC's National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) has been activated and is currently in alert mode.