NCDC DG Says ₦10bn Ebola Fund Will Also Cover Lassa Fever, Other Diseases

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Jide Idris, has said the ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola preparedness was also intended to strengthen Nigeria’s response to other endemic diseases, including Lassa fever.

Idris made this known during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, where he discussed Nigeria’s Ebola response and containment efforts.

He explained that the intervention fund was not exclusively for Ebola but was designed to support broader public health preparedness, particularly as the Lassa fever season approaches.

According to him, several diseases require similar control measures, including improved diagnostics, screening, surveillance and monitoring at points of entry.

Idris said, “The money is good for people to understand why. This money was requested not only for Ebola, but to address issues of control of other endemic diseases. Right now, Lassa fever season is coming.

“Lassa fever and Ebola are the same class of viruses, just like ongoing fever and dengue fever. We have all this ongoing in this country. And many of the surveillance measures are the same.

“Leadership, diagnostics, screening, surveillance issues, point of entry- all those funny things. They are the same thing. And that was the request initially.

“And the president graciously approved it then.”

The NCDC boss also dismissed suggestions that the Ebola outbreak was being used as a political tool, insisting that public health emergencies should not be politicised.

His comments followed questions about allegations that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was using the Ebola situation as a political tactic.

“That is totally false. We in the health sector will not use disease issues as a political weapon. And there will not be any postponement of the election on the case of Ebola? That’s not my decision,” Idris said.

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Recall that in May, President Tinubu approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats.

The President also ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion as emergency intervention funding to strengthen the country’s preparedness and response to Ebola and other public health threats.

The fund has since become a subject of political controversy, with the opposition demanding greater transparency over its status and utilisation.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had criticised the APC’s claim that the ₦10 billion Ebola intervention fund remained untouched, demanding that the Federal Government publish a full account of the money.

Atiku questioned the handling of the intervention fund and called for transparency regarding its status and intended use.

Meanwhile, the APC Presidential Campaign Council maintained that the ₦10 billion approved for the Ebola emergency remained untouched, contrary to insinuations by Atiku, a former vice-president and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

According to the council, the NCDC, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies involved in disease surveillance had been using other available resources to carry out their activities.

The conflicting positions have intensified calls for clarification on the status of the intervention fund, its scope and how the government intends to deploy it to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola and other endemic diseases.