The Enugu government has strengthened surveillance at international points of entry and risk communication efforts to prevent the importation of Ebola into the country.

The move followed the outbreak of the disease in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The commissioner for health, George Ugwu, said this on Thursday after the Enugu State Public Health Emergency Operation Centre committee meeting on Ebola Prevention in the state.

The meeting, held with the state’s health stakeholders and partners, was also attended by top officials of the Port Health Quarantine Service at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu.

Mr Ugwu said that the state government had deployed more health surveillance officers to complement existing port health quarantine service officers.

He reiterated that Enugu’s health ministry would continue to liaise with the authorities at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport to ensure that the recommended Ebola-safe measures were strictly followed in the interest of public health.

Mr Ugwu noted that the state had begun scaling up risk communication measures on Ebola awareness and prevention to ensure that every resident abides by personal and environmental hygiene protocols for disease prevention.

He said the ministry had gone far in its meetings with religious, traditional, and community leaders, delivering Ebola awareness and prevention messages so they could cascade the same to their congregations, subjects, and community members.

The commissioner said that the ministry is also producing electronic flyers on Ebola awareness and prevention and has begun distributing them through various social media platforms.

“We want the Ebola awareness and prevention protocol message to be a household matter, where individuals in communities will be well informed and watchful and report any observed possible symptoms even among their relatives or returnees from Uganda/DRC,” he said.

(NAN)