The Gombe State Government on Wednesday activated its public health emergency response mechanism following the declaration of an Ebola outbreak in Nigeria by the Minister of Health and Social Welfare.
The Commissioner for Health, Prof. Adamu-Danladi Bojude, disclosed this in a news briefing, saying the outbreak followed the confirmation of an Ebola case in a person who arrived in Nigeria from Uganda.
He said the patient was in isolation in Abuja, while contact tracing and follow-up activities had commenced.
Bojude said the Gombe State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre had been placed on alert for Ebola Virus Disease.
“We have been receiving daily updates on Persons of Interest from the NCDC and, as of today, there is zero Person of Interest on EVD in Gombe State,” he said.
The commissioner added that the state PHEOC was liaising with its counterpart in Abuja to receive notifications about anyone in Gombe State who might have visited the hospitals attended by the patient in the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that a Person of Interest in Gombe State would be anyone who had visited the hospitals between October 7 and October 21, 2026.
According to him, identified Persons of Interest would be monitored closely for 21 days, with samples collected for screening where indicated.
“Any Person of Interest with symptoms will be isolated at the Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe,” he said.
Bojude said the state would conduct a joint risk assessment for Ebola Virus Disease and activate a Technical Working Group on Ebola on October 21, 2026.
He assured residents that the state government was fully aware of the situation and prepared to respond effectively as developments unfolded.
“The Government of Gombe State is in full situational awareness and well prepared to respond fully to the event as it unfolds,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Chief Security Officer of Dankwambo Mega Park, Ibrahim Mohammed, said measures were being put in place to protect travellers.
Mohammed said the measures included regular temperature checks for travellers.
“We have plans in place to ensure that travellers are safe. This includes regular checks of travellers’ temperatures with thermometers,” he said.
The Acting State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation, Pharm. Bonnet Samuel, commended the state government for activating its public health emergency response mechanism.
“We have able personnel to respond to any outbreak with the support of the government. Even if the situation threatens to overwhelm us, we have partners. We need to allay the fears of residents,” he said.
Similarly, the Acting Airport Manager of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Epson-Essai Pensur, said the agency was working to ensure the safety of travellers.
“FAAN is aware, and we have also activated emergency operations alongside other relevant government agencies,” Pensur said.