NCDC to pay Ebola contacts ₦100,000 weekly

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has approved a weekly stipend of ₦100,000 for people placed in isolation or quarantine following possible exposure to the confirmed Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The agency’s Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday, explaining that the intervention was introduced after some contacts complained about the financial burden of staying in isolation and maintaining their families.

Idris said the agency was already covering accommodation and feeding expenses for affected individuals but approved the additional payment to ease their financial difficulties.

“We are providing ₦100,000 per person per week just to maintain their comfort and feeding, because they were complaining,” he said.

He described the payment as an emergency measure that was not included in the agency’s original response plan, adding that the arrangement would be reviewed as the situation develops.

The NCDC chief also urged state governments to make adequate financial and logistical provisions for public health emergencies, stressing that the responsibility for supporting outbreak response efforts should not rest solely on the FCT.

According to Idris, 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed Ebola case had been identified as of Sunday.

They include 44 people from the health facility where the patient was treated and nine additional contacts.

The additional contacts include the patient’s husband, driver and chef, alongside healthcare workers who attended to her at another clinic and personnel involved in collecting samples.

The agency said the contacts were being monitored for symptoms, with follow-up expected to continue for 21 days after their last possible exposure.exposure.