Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, Nigeria, has called for coordinated communication and effective surveillance to bridge information gaps and provide reliable public guidance on Nigeria’s Ebola response.
Ashiru made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
He emphasised the need for consistent public updates and strengthened monitoring to prevent further transmission of the disease.
Ashiru recommended that the Federal Government establish a centralised daily briefing platform, coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health or the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), to keep Nigerians informed.
According to him, the briefings should provide updates on the patient’s condition, contact-tracing efforts and emerging suspected cases to counter misinformation and reduce public anxiety.
“The Federal Government must provide one uniform daily briefing podium, anchored in the office of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare or the Director-General NCDC,” he said.
Ashiru said transparent and consistent communication would help the public understand the situation, follow health advisories and cooperate with measures designed to contain the outbreak.
He also called for temperature screening at airports and other entry points, alongside stronger border surveillance, to identify travellers showing Ebola symptoms and prevent further spread.
The medical expert explained that Ebola was not transmitted by infected persons before they developed symptoms, but warned that contact with bodily fluids of symptomatic patients could expose others to infection.
He urged healthcare workers to exercise caution when treating patients with fever, noting that Ebola symptoms could initially resemble malaria and other common illnesses, potentially delaying diagnosis and increasing exposure risks.
“Any doctor now in any hospital that is treating somebody with fever should approach that patient with the suspicion that this could be Ebola,” Ashiru said, urging medical personnel to use appropriate personal protective equipment.
He emphasised that early diagnosis, prompt isolation and effective contact tracing were essential to containing transmission, citing Nigeria’s experience during the 2014 Ebola outbreak as evidence of the importance of swift intervention.
Ashiru also advocated increased investment in local vaccine research and production, noting that Nigeria had previously produced yellow fever vaccines.
He said Nigeria should strengthen its domestic vaccine production capacity to improve preparedness and respond effectively to emerging infectious diseases.
“The borders have to be properly controlled. We must take temperatures at the border. Very important,” he said.
He further emphasised the need for stronger screening and surveillance measures to identify suspected cases early and prevent further transmission of the disease.
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