The Lagos State Government has intensified surveillance and emergency preparedness measures following a deadly outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Central and East Africa that has claimed at least 177 lives from nearly 700 suspected cases, raising fresh global health concerns.

The outbreak, currently affecting the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, has prompted the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) amid fears that difficult terrain and delayed containment efforts could worsen the spread of the virus.

Reacting to the alarming development, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, assured residents that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case has been detected in Lagos, even as the state government ramps up monitoring and border screening operations.

In a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, Abayomi said the state was closely tracking the situation and had activated its emergency response architecture to prevent any possible importation of the deadly virus into Nigeria.

“We are closely monitoring the evolving Ebola outbreak situation in Central and East Africa… we have not seen any cases resembling Ebola in Lagos to date,” he said.

The commissioner explained that Lagos has deployed its outbreak-tested “Biosecurity Bio-shield,” a system developed to rapidly detect, isolate and contain highly infectious diseases. He noted that the framework, first strengthened during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and later reinforced during the COVID-19 pandemic, cholera, diphtheria and Lassa fever outbreaks, remains fully operational.

According to him, the Lagos State Incident Command System (ICS), under the leadership of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, has been placed on standby to coordinate any emergency response if necessary.

Abayomi disclosed that the state’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) is functioning round-the-clock, with epidemiologists and disease surveillance officers monitoring community-level health signals across Lagos.

He further revealed that the Lagos State Infectious Disease Hospital has been placed on high alert, with isolation wards, intensive care units and treatment facilities fully prepared to handle any suspected Ebola cases.

The commissioner added that the state’s Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory located in Yaba has also been placed on enhanced alert to ensure rapid diagnosis of high-risk infectious diseases.

As part of efforts to prevent cross-border transmission, Abayomi said all flights arriving from East and Central Africa are undergoing intensified health screening in collaboration with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research.

He added that surveillance activities have also been strengthened at seaports and land borders, with Port Health officers placed on heightened alert.

At the grassroots level, Community Health Workers, Community Development Associations and Civil Society Organisations have been integrated into an early-warning system aimed at ensuring the prompt reporting of suspected Ebola cases.

The commissioner said strategic stockpiles of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), disinfectants and emergency medical supplies have already been positioned across critical locations in the state, while ambulance services remain on standby for rapid deployment.

Despite the rising death toll in Africa’s latest Ebola outbreak, Abayomi urged Lagos residents not to panic, stressing that preparedness and rapid response remain central to the state’s public health strategy.

“Our focus remains prevention, early detection, rapid reporting and swift response. Preparedness is not a temporary reaction for us; it is our permanent culture,” he said.

He advised residents who recently travelled to Congo or Uganda, or had contact with travellers from affected areas and are experiencing symptoms associated with Ebola, to immediately contact emergency lines 767 or 112, or reach the State Epidemiologist on 08023169485.