Nigeria Steps Up Border Surveillance as Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DR Congo

Nigeria Steps Up Border Surveillance as Ebola Outbreak Spreads in DR Congo.
WHO releases funds, vaccines to support Congo’s containment efforts.
Experts urge vigilance, community surveillance, and stronger lab capacity.

The Federal Government has intensified monitoring and screening at all points of entry following the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Director of Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Akpan Nse, told Saturday PUNCH that more staff had been deployed to strengthen border surveillance. He explained that every inbound traveller from Congo is screened at airports, seaports, and land borders, with medical history collected through mandatory forms. Thermal scanners are also being maintained in partnership with private organisations.

Health authorities in the DRC declared the outbreak in Kasai Province, reporting 28 suspected cases and 16 deaths, including four health workers, as of September 5, 2025. Samples tested at the National Institute of Biomedical Research confirmed the Ebola Zaire strain.

This marks the DRC’s 16th outbreak since Ebola was first identified in 1976. Previous outbreaks in Kasai were reported in 2007 and 2008, while the last was contained in Equateur Province in 2022.

To support the response, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released $500,000 from its Contingency Fund and prepositioned 2,000 vaccine doses in Kinshasa. WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said rapid response teams were tracing contacts, testing samples, and equipping health workers with protective gear.

Experts have urged Nigeria not to lower its guard. Infectious disease specialists, including Dr Oladipo Kolawole of Adeleke University and virologist Dr Moses Adewumi, advised strict surveillance at points of entry and stronger laboratory capacity. Dr Iorhen Akase of Lagos University Teaching Hospital added that community vigilance remains vital, stressing that symptomatic individuals should seek medical care immediately.