In this article
- NCDC Urges Hospitals to Prepare Before Suspected Cases Arrive
- Hospitals Told to Strengthen Screening and Protective Measures
- DRASA Health Trust Outlines Three Priority Actions
- Review Meeting Planned to Assess Progress
- NCDC Plans Wider Engagement of Trained IPC Professionals
- UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Recalls Lessons from 2014 Ebola Outbreak
- Why the Mobilisation Matters for Nigeria
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has mobilised infection prevention specialists and media fellows to strengthen the country’s preparedness for Ebola and other public health emergencies.
The initiative aims to improve early detection, protect healthcare workers and reduce the risk of infection spreading within health facilities.
The mobilisation was discussed at a virtual assembly of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) alumni themed “One Network, Many Actions.”
The initiative received support from DRASA Health Trust, the Centre for Infection Control and Patient Safety (CICAPS), and the Media Epidemiology, Infodemiology and Social Behaviour Change/Risk Communication Fellowship (MEDIA-EIS).
NCDC Urges Hospitals to Prepare Before Suspected Cases Arrive
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, urged trained IPC professionals to apply their skills to early detection, infection prevention and outbreak containment.
Represented by Dr Tochi Okwor, Head of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at the agency, Idris said health facilities must strengthen their preparedness before suspected cases arrive.
He stressed the need for an active response rather than waiting for an outbreak to escalate.
Idris also identified Nigeria’s densely populated communities, growing urban centres and high population mobility as factors that could complicate disease containment if suspected cases were not identified promptly.
He warned that Ebola symptoms may resemble those of malaria and other common infections. This similarity could delay diagnosis and expose more patients and healthcare workers to infection.
Hospitals Told to Strengthen Screening and Protective Measures
The NCDC chief urged healthcare facilities to review their infection prevention procedures and address weaknesses that could increase the risk of transmission.
He highlighted several priorities, including:
- Strengthening screening and triage for patients.
- Maintaining standard infection prevention precautions.
- Using personal protective equipment (PPE) according to assessed risks.
- Reporting suspected cases promptly through established channels.
- Improving isolation arrangements and referral procedures.
- Reviewing protective equipment supplies and environmental cleaning practices.
Idris emphasised that hand hygiene and appropriate PPE use must remain central to healthcare safety.
He also called on IPC professionals to work with facility management to identify and address gaps in infection prevention and emergency response.
DRASA Health Trust Outlines Three Priority Actions
Niniola Williams, Managing Director of DRASA Health Trust and moderator of the assembly, outlined three activities for participating health facilities.
The first is refresher training on Ebola and infection prevention. The training will cover early recognition, standard precautions, prevention of occupational exposure and prompt reporting.
The second is to establish or strengthen screening and triage arrangements, then practise the procedures for five consecutive days.
According to Williams, the exercise will help facilities test their systems, document lessons, identify operational challenges and make necessary improvements.
The third activity is a facility-readiness assessment using an approved checklist based on the national IPC scorecard.
The assessment is expected to help IPC focal persons identify weaknesses in infection prevention, referral arrangements, exposure reporting and other aspects of Ebola preparedness.
Williams encouraged facilities to begin with measures they could implement using available resources while seeking management support for additional equipment and funding.
Review Meeting Planned to Assess Progress
According to Williams, the facility-level activities were scheduled to begin on October 26, with a review meeting planned for the last week of November.
The review is expected to examine progress, challenges and achievements across participating facilities.
The initiative also includes plans to share presentation slides and information, education and communication materials through a common Google Drive.
Refresher webinars and instructional videos on screening, triage and infection prevention procedures are also planned to support continued learning.
NCDC Plans Wider Engagement of Trained IPC Professionals
Idris said the NCDC planned to engage state commissioners for health and state IPC focal persons to encourage greater use of trained professionals during outbreaks and in routine healthcare delivery.
He added that graduates of the Diploma in Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC) programme were included in the NCDC health workforce database.
The database could help identify qualified personnel for future engagements and capacity-building activities.
He encouraged IPC alumni to inform state authorities about their expertise and ongoing work to demonstrate how their skills contribute to public health security.
The assembly also discussed the Orange Network, which brings together healthcare facilities working towards excellence in infection prevention and control.
Idris explained that applications to join the network must come from facility leadership. Interested medical directors and chief medical directors were advised to write to the NCDC Director-General for guidance on the application process.
UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Recalls Lessons from 2014 Ebola Outbreak
Professor Sade Ogunsola, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos and a key contributor to the development of Nigeria’s IPC diploma programme, said the 2014 Ebola outbreak exposed serious weaknesses in infection prevention.
These included inadequate facility-level leadership, shortages of trained personnel and insufficient systems to protect healthcare workers.
Ogunsola said the experience created an opportunity to develop a structured, competency-based training programme that could strengthen infection prevention beyond emergency situations.
She recalled that the team obtained support from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop the DIPC curriculum within 18 months of the outbreak.
The programme was designed to equip healthcare professionals with the skills to assess risks, lead infection prevention programmes, influence clinical practices and prepare facilities for future emergencies.
Ogunsola stressed that infection prevention should be part of everyday healthcare delivery, rather than a measure introduced only during outbreaks.
She urged alumni to update their knowledge, mentor colleagues and promote stronger infection prevention practices across primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities.
Why the Mobilisation Matters for Nigeria
The initiative highlights the importance of preparing healthcare facilities before an infectious disease emergency occurs.
Trained IPC professionals can help facilities identify risks, improve patient screening, protect medical staff and establish procedures for responding to suspected infections.
However, effective preparedness also depends on adequate supplies, trained personnel, strong facility leadership and prompt reporting systems.
The planned facility assessments and practical exercises could help reveal weaknesses before they contribute to wider transmission.
For Nigeria, the priority is sustained preparedness: maintaining strong infection prevention practices every day can help protect patients and healthcare workers when the next public health emergency emerges.
The NCDC mobilisation should not, by itself, be interpreted as confirmation of a new Ebola outbreak in Nigeria.
