Ebola: Niger Screens Returning Hajj Pilgrims

Niger State Ministry of Health has intensified disease surveillance and adopted the screening of pilgrims returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

LEADERSHIP Friday findings revealed that the screening formed part of efforts to prevent the importation of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) and other public health threats into the state.

Leading the medical team at Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, the director of Public Health, Dr Ibrahim Idris, supervised the screening and temperature checks conducted on the returning pilgrims on behalf of the commissioner, Dr Murtala Bagana.

He said no returning pilgrim had shown any symptom of Ebola or febrile illness and assured  that  Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago had put in place measures to safeguard public health.

According to him, it was part of the state preparedness towards the reactivation of the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) for EBV.

Idris explained  the step was also a  proactive measure to detect and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, adding that the Ministry of Health was working closely with relevant stakeholders to ensure that infectious diseases of public health concern were not spread to the state.

Meanwhile, the fifth batch of 420 Niger State pilgrims yesterday  arrived Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport, Minna in continuation of the airlift of pilgrims back home.

The fifth batch comprises 420 pilgrims, drawn from , Rafi, Paiko, Agaie, Shiroro, Katcha, Tafa, Kontagora,   Magama, Wushishi, Suleja, Edati, Katcha, and Magama local government areas and they went through screening.