Headline

Ebola In Uganda: NCDC Ups Preparedness, Cautions Nigerians On Travel

Published

8 months ago

February 2, 2025

Following the confirmation of an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in Uganda, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, NCDC, has initiated measures to strengthen the country’s preparedness, advising Nigerians to shelve travels to countries affected by the disease.

The Centre also announced that there is no case of Ebola in Nigeria.

The NCDC in the public health advisory noted that though the WHO advises against any restrictions to travel and /or trade to Uganda, Nigerians and residents to avoid all but essential travel to countries with confirmed cases of the Ebola Virus Disease.

Uganda had on 30th January 2025 confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease caused by the Sudan species, in Wakiso, Mukono, and Mbale cities in Mbale district.

According to the country’s Ministry of Health, only one case has so far been reported, and one death (confirmed by post-mortem).

Forty-four contacts are being followed up. We will continue to monitor the regional and global situations.

Making these disclosures in a public health advisory signed by the NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, the Centre noted that Uganda has experience in responding to Ebola Disease outbreaks, and necessary action has been initiated.

The public advisory reads in parts, “There are no cases of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Partners through the National Emerging Viral Hemorrhagic Diseases (EVHD) Technical Working Group, continues these include the update of our EVD emergency contingency plan, heightened surveillance especially at the points of entry, and optimizing diagnostic capacity for EVD testing in designated laboratories in cities with international airports of entry and the National Reference Laboratory.

“In addition, all Lassa Fever testing laboratories can be activated to scale up testing if the need arises.

“Ebola virus disease (EVD), formerly known as Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, is a severe, often deadly disease caused by the Ebola virus, with a fatality rate of 25-90 percent.

“There are 5 distinct species of the virus: Bundibugyo, Zaire (the most fatal of all the five strains, and responsible for the most EVD outbreaks including the 2014-2016 outbreak in West Africa), Reston, Tai Forest, and the Sudan (responsible for the outbreak in Uganda).

“The infection is transmitted from animals to humans, with human-to-human transmission occurring through direct contact with the body fluids (blood, saliva, vomit, urine, feces, sweat, breast milk, and semen of an infected person), contaminated objects, or infected animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, porcupines, and forest antelope.

“The virus can also be transmitted through contact with wildlife and unsafe burial practices. The incubation period, i.e. from exposure to the development of signs and symptoms ranges from 2-21 days. “During an outbreak, those at risk of infection are health workers, family members, and others in close contact with sick people and deceased patients.

“The initial symptoms of EVD include: Sudden onset of high fever, accompanied by other nonspecific signs and symptoms such as headache, body aches, muscle pain, weakness, vomiting, and diarrhea.• Jaundice (yellowing of the eye).

“The following may occur after the onset of the above symptoms: And in severe cases, uncontrolled bleeding from orifices, dysfunction and/or failure of several body organs such as the kidneys, liver, central nervous system involvement, progressing to shock and death.

“In fatal cases, death often occurs between 8 and 9 days of the onset of symptoms.

“The Ebola virus is in the same class as the Marburg virus and are both classified as Viral hemorrhagic Fevers (VHF). Based on the dynamic risk assessment conducted in response to the recent Marburg outbreak in Rwanda, the risk of EVD is also classified as moderate. A moderate risk classification indicates that EVD, without mitigation, is likely to occur in Nigeria, with the potential for significant public health consequences. So, we need to take the necessary precautions.”

The NCDC advised Nigerians that there are vaccines and therapeutics available for some strains of the Ebola virus.

“It noted that the approved vaccine for the Zaire species (EBV) is not currently available in the country but can be obtained from the WHO Afro and does not protect against the Sudan virus.

“However, early recognition, isolation of patients, and initiation of supportive treatment, implementing infection and control measures in health facilities and homes, tracing and monitoring of contacts, and safe burial practices, significantly reduce morbidity and the probability of death.

Nigerians are, therefore, urged to adhere strictly to preventive measures such as practicing good hand hygiene – Wash your hands regularly with soap under running water or use hand sanitisers when soap and water are not readily available.

Nigerians were also advised to avoid physical contact with anyone who has symptoms of an infection with an unknown diagnosis.

“Avoid the consumption of bush meat, particularly bats and non-human primates, which are known reservoirs of the Ebola virus.

“And if you have to, ensure that such is properly prepared and cooked before consumption.

“Avoid direct contact with the blood, saliva, vomit, urine, and other bodily fluids of suspected or confirmed EVD cases.

“If you or someone you know (with a travel history to any country with Ebola cases) experiences symptoms of EVD enumerated above, call 6232 or your State Ministry of Health hotline for guidance.The NCDC also urged healthcare workers to maintain a high index of suspicion for EVD in their encounters with their patients.

“In the management of a suspected or confirmed case of EVD: Ensure strict isolation of the patient. adhere strictly to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) like face masks, hand gloves, appropriate gowns etc.

”The NCDC also urged healthcare practitioners to report suspected cases immediately to the NCDC or State Ministry of Health for appropriate response and management.

“It further noted that though the WHO advises against any restrictions to travel and /or trade to Uganda, the NCDC advised Nigerian citizens and residents to avoid all but essential travel to countries with confirmed cases of the Ebola Virus Disease.

“Persons already in Nigeria but with recent travel history to or transit through countries with Ebola cases in the last 21 days who experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, sore throat, diarrhea, weakness, vomiting, stomach pain, or unexplained bleeding or bruising should adhere to the following guidelines: Promptly call 6232 or State Ministry of Health hotlines for assessment and testing, shelter-in-place to avoid further spread through shared transport systems (public or private) until health authorities reach out.

“Await dedicated responders for assessment and possible transport to a designated treatment center if required.”

“The NCDC pledged to continue to strengthen surveillance across the country, including all the borders and airports, especially for travelers from affected areas; alerting health workers to heighten their level of suspicion for suspected cases; enhancing our laboratory capacities for quick testing of suspected cases; as well as coordination with the WHO and the African Regional Health Authorities to monitor developments and share critical information.”
(VANGUARD)

Headline

White House Threatens Mass Firings Amid Stalled Shutdown Talks

Published

23 hours ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

Efforts to swiftly end the US government shutdown collapsed Wednesday as Democrats in Congress went home without resolving a funding stand-off with President Donald Trump and the White House threatened public sector jobs.

Federal funding expired at midnight after Trump and lawmakers failed to agree on a deal to keep the lights on, prompting agencies to wind down services, while the White House warned of “imminent” firings of public sector workers.

Senate Democrats — who are demanding extended health care subsidies for low-income families — refused to help the majority Republicans approve a House-passed bill that would have reopened the government for several weeks while negotiations continue.

Voting in the Senate is now adjourned until Friday, frustrating hopes for a quick resolution.

Around 750,000 federal employees are expected to be placed on furlough — a kind of enforced leave, with pay withheld until they return to work.

Essential workers, such as the military and border agents, may be forced to work without pay and some will likely miss their checks beginning next week. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association voiced fears for air safety as more than 2,300 members were sent home.

The crisis has higher stakes than previous shutdowns, with Trump racing to enact hard-right policies that include slashing government departments and threatening to turn many of the furloughs into mass firings.

Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters the administration was “working with agencies across the board to identify where cuts can be made… and we believe that layoffs are imminent.”

The Department of Energy announced plans to terminate clean energy projects, all in blue states, according to White House official Russell Vought, who said the slashed funding had been used to advance “the Left’s climate agenda”.

The Department of Transportation also froze nearly $18 billion in federal funding for major infrastructure projects in New York, which Governor Kathy Hochul called “political payback”.

– ‘Ridiculous’ –

Shutdowns are a periodic feature of gridlocked Washington, although this is the first since a record 35-day pause during Trump’s first term in 2019.

They are unpopular because services used by ordinary voters, from national parks to permit applications, become unavailable.

“I think our government needs to learn how to work together for the people and find a way to make things not happen like this,” said Terese Johnston, a 61-year-old retired tour guide visiting Washington from California as the government shut down.

“You compromise. You find ways. So everybody gives a little bit, everybody takes a little bit, and things work.”

Democrats — spurred by grassroots anger over the expiring health care subsidies and Trump’s dismantling of government agencies — have been withholding Senate votes to fund the government as leverage to try and force negotiations.

As the messaging war over the shutdown intensified, Vice President JD Vance took center stage at a White House briefing normally headed by Leavitt to upbraid Democrats over their demands.

“They said to us, ‘we will open the government, but only if you give billions of dollars of funding for health care for illegal aliens.’ That’s a ridiculous proposition,” Vance said in a rare appearance in the briefing room.

US law demands that anyone who presents at a publicly funded emergency room is treated, regardless of their ability to pay. But it bars undocumented immigrants from receiving the health care benefits Democrats are demanding, and the party has not called for a new act of Congress to change that.

– No compromise –

Republicans in the House of Representatives have already passed a stop-gap funding fix to keep federal functions running through late November while a longer-term plan is thrashed out.

But the 100-member Senate does not have the 60 votes required to send it to Trump’s desk, and Democrats say they won’t help unless Republicans compromise on their planned spending cuts — especially in health care.

Senate Republican leaders, who have just one rebel in their own ranks, need eight Democrats to join the majority and rubber-stamp the House-passed bill.

They got three moderates to cross the aisle in an initial vote Tuesday and were hoping to peel off five more as the shutdown chaos starts to bite. But Wednesday’s result went the same way.

Congress is not voting Thursday out of respect for the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday but the Senate returns to work on Friday and may be in session through the weekend.

The House is not due back until next week.

AFP

Headline

NIS Begins Crackdown On Foreigners With Expired Visas

Published

23 hours ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Immigration Service has commenced a nationwide crackdown on foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas or breached entry conditions, following the expiration of a three-month amnesty granted by the Federal Government.

The amnesty, which opened on July 5 and lapsed at midnight on September 30, allowed foreigners with irregular immigration status to regularise their stay without penalties.

“With the expiration of the amnesty period, effective October 1, 2025, enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions,” NIS spokesperson, Akinsola Akinlabi, said in a statement on Wednesday.

The exercise targets holders of expired Visa on Arrival, expired single and multiple-entry short visit or business visas, and individuals with expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards.

Foreigners caught in violation face removal, daily fines, or entry bans. Overstayers of less than three months risk deportation, a $15 daily fine, or a two-year entry ban. Those who overstay between three months and one year face removal, daily fines, or a five-year entry ban, while individuals exceeding one year risk deportation and up to a 10-year or permanent entry ban.

The Service said the measures are aimed at safeguarding national security and ensuring strict compliance with immigration laws.

Interior Minister, Olubunmi, had earlier warned members of the diplomatic corps to advise their nationals to take advantage of the amnesty window, stressing that Nigeria’s immigration laws “are not meant to be abused but respected.”

The crackdown is part of wider reforms introduced in April, including a $15 daily surcharge for visa overstays, with a temporary moratorium to encourage compliance.

Headline

Earthquake Kills 72 In Philippines

Published

23 hours ago

October 2, 2025

Editor

The death toll from a powerful earthquake in the central Philippines rose to 72 on Thursday, officials said, as the search for the missing wound down and rescuers turned their focus to the hundreds injured and thousands left homeless.

The bodies of the three victims were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed hotel overnight Wednesday in the city of Bogo, near the epicentre of the 6.9-magnitude quake that struck on Tuesday.

“We have zero missing, so the assumption is all are accounted for,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spokesman Junie Castillo said, adding that some rescue units in Cebu province have been told to “demobilise”.

The government said 294 people were injured and around 20,000 had fled their homes. Nearly 600 houses were wrecked across the north of Cebu, and many are sleeping on the streets as hundreds of aftershocks shake the area.

“One of the challenges is the aftershocks. It means residents are reluctant to return to their homes, even those houses that were not (structurally) compromised,” Castillo said.

Cebu provincial governor Pamela Baricuatro appealed for help on Thursday, saying thousands needed safe drinking water, food, clothes, and temporary housing, as well as volunteers to sort and distribute aid.

President Ferdinand Marcos flew to Cebu with senior aides on Thursday to inspect the damage.

He also visited a partially damaged housing project in Bogo, built for survivors of the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the deadliest natural disasters to hit the Philippines.

Eight bodies were “recovered from collapsed houses” in the project following the quake, a local government statement said.

A tiny village chapel in Bogo was serving as a temporary shelter for 18-year-old Diane Madrigal and 14 of her neighbours after their houses were destroyed. Their clothes and food were scattered across the chapel’s pews.

“The entire wall (of my house) fell, so I really don’t know how and when we can go back again,” Madrigal told AFP.

“I am still scared of the aftershocks up to now; it feels like we have to run again,” she added.

Mother-of-four Lucille Ipil, 43, added her water container to a 10-metre (30-foot) line of them along a roadside in Bogo, where residents desperately waited for a truck to bring them water.

“The earthquake really ruined our lives. Water is important for everyone. We cannot eat, drink, or bathe properly,” she told AFP.

“We really want to go back to our old life before the quake, but we don’t know when that will happen… Rebuilding takes a long time.”

Many areas remain without electricity, and dozens of patients were sheltering in tents outside the damaged Cebu provincial hospital in Bogo.

“I’d rather stay here under this tent. At least I can be treated,” 22-year-old Kyle Malait told AFP as she waited for her dislocated arm to be treated.

More than 110,000 people in 42 communities affected by the quake will need assistance to rebuild their homes and restore their livelihoods, according to the regional civil defence office.

Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of intense seismic activity stretching from Japan through Southeast Asia and across the Pacific basin.

Most are too weak to be felt by humans but strong and destructive quakes come at random, with no technology available to predict when and where they might strike.

AFP