By Ameh Sunday Enyo-ojo
The Senate has urged the Federal Government to release emergency funds to strengthen disease surveillance and introduce mandatory health screening for all international travellers entering Nigeria amid concerns over the spread of the Ebola virus.
The lawmakers also called for compulsory screening at international airports, seaports and designated land borders to prevent the importation of Ebola and other infectious diseases.
The resolutions followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Senator Francis Faduyile, who raised concerns over the spread of the Bundibugyo Ebola virus and its potential threat to Nigeria’s public health system.
Faduyile said the outbreak, which originated in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, had spread to other African countries, including Uganda and Kenya, increasing the risk of infected persons entering Nigeria through transit countries.
He also cited an assessment by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, which indicated a high risk of Ebola being imported into the country.
The senator recalled Nigeria’s 2014 Ebola outbreak, when an infected traveller introduced the virus into Lagos, stressing the need for stronger preventive measures at the country’s entry points.
Although the Senate acknowledged existing government interventions, including health declaration forms and increased surveillance, it expressed concern that screening was limited to travellers arriving from selected countries.
According to the lawmakers, the restriction could create loopholes in the country’s disease surveillance system and expose Nigerians to avoidable public health risks.
The Senate also raised concerns over shortages of personnel and essential screening equipment at some entry points, noting that Port Health Services still operates under the Quarantine Act of 1926.
It warned that existing public health challenges, including Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria, made it necessary for Nigeria to strengthen its preparedness against emerging infectious diseases.
Consequently, the lawmakers directed the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the NCDC and Port Health Services to ensure that all international passengers entering Nigeria undergo mandatory health screening, irrespective of their nationality or country of departure.
The proposed screening measures include completing health declaration forms, temperature checks and assessments for symptoms associated with infectious diseases.
The Senate further recommended enhanced screening for travellers who had visited or transited through affected areas within the preceding 21 days.
It also called for departure screening for passengers leaving Nigeria whenever a public health emergency has been declared.
The chamber urged the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Immigration Service to equip entry points with adequate numbers of trained Port Health officers, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation facilities.
The lawmakers also called on the Federal Government to ensure that isolation and treatment centres across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were adequately equipped to respond to possible outbreaks.
On legal reforms, the Senate advocated replacing the Quarantine Act of 1926 with an updated public health law aligned with the International Health Regulations of 2005.
The lawmakers further urged the ministries responsible for finance, budget and economic planning to provide adequate funding for the NCDC and Port Health Services in the 2027 budget.
They also called for the release of outstanding funds to enable the agencies to strengthen disease surveillance and improve Nigeria’s capacity to respond to public health emergencies.
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