The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has urged journalists to counter Ebola misinformation through accurate reporting to prevent panic and protect public health.
The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, made the call on Tuesday during a virtual capacity-building meeting for journalists on effective Ebola reporting, organised amid concerns about misinformation following Nigeria’s confirmed case.
Idris said Nigeria currently had no confirmed Ebola cases within the country after the patient and her husband were medically evacuated to Switzerland.
However, he said health authorities were monitoring 54 contacts daily, with most undergoing quarantine in Abuja and others observing self-quarantine at home. He added that three symptomatic contacts had tested negative.
The NCDC chief warned that reports claiming Nigeria had been declared Ebola-free were false, explaining that the absence of confirmed cases did not mean the country was free of the disease. He said such claims could encourage people to abandon preventive measures or delay seeking medical attention.
Idris said authorities were also identifying secondary contacts to ensure that possible chains of transmission were not overlooked.
He defended the government’s financial support for people under quarantine, saying it was intended to ease their hardship and address social and psychological challenges. He added that the NCDC was engaging relevant authorities, including the Federal Capital Territory Administration, to ensure they fulfilled their responsibilities.
He also dismissed claims that the patient’s evacuation showed a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system, explaining that she had received treatment locally and was clinically stable before leaving the country. He further described reports linking the outbreak to a possible postponement of elections as false.
Idris urged journalists to verify information through official channels, seek clarification from designated spokespersons and correct false reports on the same platforms where they were published.
He cautioned against publishing the names, photographs or addresses of patients and contacts, warning that doing so could expose them to stigma and discrimination.
He reiterated that Ebola spreads through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or someone who has died from the disease, not through the air. He added that people without symptoms do not transmit the virus and that healthy contacts should not be portrayed as confirmed or suspected cases.
Anyone experiencing fever or other concerning symptoms after travelling to an affected area or coming into contact with a suspected case should call the national emergency number, 6232, rather than visit a health facility without prior guidance, he said.
Idris assured journalists that the agency would provide regular updates, clarify uncertain information and correct errors when necessary.
The organisers said the training aimed to improve journalists’ ability to report Ebola accurately and responsibly, noting that the lessons could also apply to other public health threats, including Lassa fever and cholera.
Speaking at the meeting, Dr Mohammed Balogun of the Africa Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) said accurate communication was essential to outbreak control and public cooperation.
He warned that misinformation and misconceptions could undermine response efforts, citing experiences in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, where negative perceptions contributed to attacks on treatment centres and resistance to isolation.
Balogun urged journalists to report verified information and highlight key facts about Ebola transmission, incubation periods, early symptoms and the distinction between healthy contacts and infected individuals.
He said symptoms could develop between two and 21 days after exposure, typically within eight to 10 days. He cautioned that journalists should not assume patients must experience bleeding before Ebola could be suspected, explaining that fever commonly appeared early while bleeding might occur later or be absent.
He stressed that early recognition of symptoms and prompt public health intervention were essential to controlling the disease.
