NCDC Approves Weekly Stipend for Ebola Contacts

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved an emergency payment of ₦100,000 per person weekly for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, announced the measure during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, saying it followed concerns from contacts about the cost of feeding, accommodation and supporting their families while undergoing mandatory public health monitoring.

Idris said the financial assistance was intended to reduce the burden on affected individuals and encourage their cooperation with public health authorities. He explained that the agency was covering accommodation and feeding costs, while the weekly stipend would help recipients meet their other needs.

He described the payment as an emergency intervention that was not included in the original response plan but had become necessary under the circumstances. He added that the arrangement would be reviewed as the response progressed.

The NCDC chief also warned that funding emergency public health interventions should not be left to the FCT alone. He said state governments must make adequate financial and logistical provisions to support contact tracing, isolation and other response activities within their jurisdictions.

The announcement comes as health authorities intensify surveillance and containment efforts following the confirmation of an imported Ebola case in Abuja on October 20.

According to Idris, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed case as of the briefing, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring. They include healthcare workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel involved in collecting samples from the patient.

He said public health teams were assessing contacts according to their levels of exposure and conducting follow-up checks. Anyone who develops symptoms will be promptly assessed and tested.

The NCDC has also arranged isolation for contacts who require it, with health officials monitoring them throughout the 21-day period following their last possible exposure. Idris disclosed that one contact who reported feeling unwell had tested negative, while surveillance and follow-up activities remained ongoing.

The agency is strengthening infection prevention and control measures in healthcare facilities, training health personnel and supporting the availability of protective equipment and laboratory supplies.

The confirmed case involves a woman who travelled to Nigeria from Uganda and tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. Health authorities said she developed symptoms on October 7, sought medical attention in Abuja on October 11 and tested positive on October 20.

The World Health Organisation has classified the infection as an imported case, while investigations continue to establish the likely source of exposure.

The outbreak has also affected the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, underscoring the need for stronger cross-border surveillance, rapid case identification and effective contact tracing.

Nigeria is drawing on lessons from its containment of the 2014 Ebola outbreak, when coordinated case identification, contact tracing, isolation and other public health measures helped prevent wider transmission.

Idris said the NCDC was strengthening preparedness across states, adding that containing the current outbreak would require cooperation among government agencies, healthcare workers, affected contacts and the public.

He urged Nigerians to rely on verified information, avoid spreading rumours and cooperate with health officials carrying out contact tracing and monitoring.