Kano prepares for possible Ebola outbreak, trains health workers

The Kano State Government says it has trained health workers and put measures in place to respond to a possible Ebola outbreak, urging residents to remain alert and take precautions against the disease.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, disclosed this in Kano on Friday.

“We already have an existing response and preparedness mechanism on the ground, even before Ebola comes to Nigeria,” Yusuf said.

He explained that Kano’s position as a major commercial centre, which attracts people from different parts of the world, makes it necessary for the state to maintain strong disease surveillance and emergency response systems.

“Kano is an international commercial centre where different people come every day for trade, so we have to remain prepared,” he said.

The commissioner said the government had strengthened monitoring at key entry points, including the international airport, bus stations, major highways and border areas, to help identify and prevent the possible entry and spread of Ebola.

He added that health workers had already received training on how to handle suspected cases and respond to public health emergencies.

According to him, the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, KNCDC, has the facilities and response systems needed to manage suspected cases if the need arises.

“We have the KNCDC and facilities for managing such cases, even though we pray and hope that we will not have any victim,” he said.

Yusuf urged residents to be careful in crowded places, especially locations that receive travellers and visitors from different areas.

He also stressed the importance of personal hygiene, particularly regular handwashing and the use of hand sanitiser after physical contact with other people.

Yusuf assured residents that the government would continue to monitor public health threats and strengthen its emergency response measures to protect people across the state.