By FRANCA OFILI

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) on Wednesday convened its first Incident Management Meeting following Nigeria’s official declaration of an Ebola outbreak to coordinate response efforts.

The agency said this in a post on its official X handle on Wednesday, noting that key leaders and partners attended the meeting to align response activities.

The NCDC said the Incident Action Plan was being finalised to guide coordinated interventions and strengthen the country’s response to the outbreak.

It said its teams were already on the ground conducting case management and other response activities, with emphasis on enhanced surveillance, contact tracing and infection prevention and control.

The agency added that coordinated risk communication remained a priority, alongside other evidence-based interventions aimed at containing the outbreak and protecting public health.

The NCDC reaffirmed its commitment to a timely, coordinated and evidence-based response to safeguard the health of Nigerians.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ebola is spread through direct physical contact with body fluids of an infected person.

UNICEF noted that a person infected with Ebola becomes contagious once symptoms appear, adding that the virus is also transmitted through infected bushmeat such as bats and monkeys.

It warned that a person becomes infected when the virus enters the body, and as it multiplies, it poses a great risk to families and communities. (NAN)