The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reportedly approved an emergency allowance of ₦100,000 per person weekly to support individuals isolated or quarantined in connection with the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing on Sunday, explaining that the intervention followed concerns from people under monitoring about the cost of feeding, accommodation and providing for their families during the isolation period.
According to Idris, some individuals identified as contacts had appealed for financial assistance to help them meet their basic needs while complying with public health requirements.
We are paying for their accommodation; we are paying for their feeding. Some of them are asking for a stipend to maintain their families, he said.
Idris added that the agency was providing ₦100,000 per person weekly as emergency support to cover essential expenses.
This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he stated.
The NCDC chief stressed that the intervention was necessary to ease the financial burden on affected individuals and encourage compliance with monitoring and other public health measures.
He also called on state governments to prepare adequate funding and logistical arrangements to respond to similar health emergencies, noting that the responsibility should not rest solely on the FCT.
This is not the responsibility of the FCT alone. What we have to do for the FCT, we have to do for any other state, just in case,” Idris said.
At the time of the reported briefing, Nigeria had recorded one confirmed Ebola case involving a woman who reportedly travelled from Uganda to Abuja. The case was said to have been confirmed on October 20, with 53 primary contacts identified for monitoring.
Contact tracing and health surveillance were reportedly ongoing to identify people who might have been exposed to the virus and monitor them for symptoms.
Under established Ebola response protocols, exposed contacts are monitored for 21 days following their last possible exposure, corresponding to the maximum recognised incubation period for the disease.
Ebola virus disease is a serious illness that can be fatal. Early detection, appropriate medical care, contact tracing and strict infection prevention measures are essential to limiting its spread.
The reported weekly allowance is intended to help people meet their basic needs while complying with public health requirements.
The development also highlights the importance of coordination between federal and state authorities in preparing for infectious disease emergencies, including funding, healthcare resources and logistical support.
RapidoSpace News will continue to monitor developments concerning the reported Ebola case, the NCDC’s response and any further announcements from health authorities.
