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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said it is considering paying ₦100,000 weekly to people isolated because of the Ebola outbreak to help them support their families during quarantine.
The Director General of the NCDC, Dr Jude Idris, disclosed this at a press briefing on Sunday. He said the number of people being monitored after Nigeria confirmed an imported case of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease had increased from 44 to 53.
The people being monitored include those who may have come into contact with the infected person, healthcare workers and domestic staff.
Idris said the proposed weekly payment was a temporary measure aimed at reducing the financial burden on people in isolation and easing tensions during the quarantine period.
He added that arrangements were being made for the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to take over the responsibility.
According to him, state governments are responsible for providing support to people placed in isolation.
Meanwhile, a suspected Ebola case in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has tested negative, bringing some relief to health authorities working to contain the outbreak.
Idris also disclosed that the University of Abuja was preparing its isolation centre and making arrangements to quarantine people who might need to be monitored as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to the disease.
The confirmed case involves a 42-year-old Ugandan woman married to a Swiss national. She arrived in Nigeria after travelling to Uganda.
The NCDC director general said health officials were finding it difficult to establish the woman’s complete travel history. This could make it harder to identify and monitor everyone who may have been exposed to the virus.
The NCDC is continuing its surveillance and response efforts as authorities work to identify contacts and prevent further spread of the disease.
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