NCAA Tightens Airport Health Surveillance Over Ebola Outbreak
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has directed airlines and airport authorities across the country to strengthen health surveillance measures following the recent outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in parts of East and Central Africa.
The directive was issued after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
In a circular sent to both domestic and international airlines operating in Nigeria, the NCAA said the move was necessary due to concerns over the possible spread of the disease through international air travel.
According to the agency, the outbreak is linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, which health authorities described as highly severe, with no widely approved vaccine or specific treatment currently available.
The NCAA disclosed that although Nigeria has not recorded any confirmed Ebola case linked to the current outbreak, it is collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Port Health Services and international health bodies to intensify monitoring and preventive measures at airports.
Health authorities in the DRC were reported to have identified a cluster of severe illnesses among healthcare workers in the Bunia Health Zone in the northeastern part of the country.
The regulatory agency stressed that the aviation sector plays a critical role in preventing the international spread of communicable diseases, adding that early detection and prompt reporting remain essential in containing the outbreak.
As part of the new measures, airlines were directed to strengthen onboard disease surveillance and comply fully with international public health protocols.
Pilots were also instructed to immediately notify Air Traffic Control of any suspected communicable disease case onboard an aircraft in line with the Nigeria Civil Aviation Regulations.
In addition, flight crew members are expected to complete Aircraft General Declaration forms for suspected cases, while airlines must ensure passenger locator forms are properly filled and submitted to Port Health Services on arrival.
The NCAA further directed airlines to equip aircraft with first-aid kits, universal precaution kits and emergency medical kits, while also reinforcing crew training on the identification and management of communicable diseases.
