The Lagos State Government has said there is no immediate threat of Ebola virus disease in the state despite the evolving outbreak in parts of Central and East Africa. In a statement yesterday, the Commissioner for Health Akin Abayomi said the stae’s biosecurity and emergency response systems remain fully activated and outbreak-tested.

According to him, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed intensified surveillance, preparedness and rapid response measures across the state.

The professor said the outbreak, which has reportedly caused about 177 deaths from nearly 700 suspected cases, remains limited to the DR Congo and Uganda.

He added that the World Health Organisation (WHO) had classified the situation as a public health emergency of international concern, largely due to the challenging terrain in the affected countries, which could complicate response efforts. Abayomi, however, noted that no suspected or confirmed Ebola case had been detected in Lagos State.

He said the state had over the years developed a resilient public health emergency structure capable of responding to infectious disease outbreaks such as Ebola, Lassa fever, cholera, diphtheria and influenza. “The Lagos biosecurity bio-shield was built to protect and remains ready to respond to biological shocks.

Preparedness for us is not a temporary reaction; it is a permanent culture embedded within our health system,” he said. The commissioner noted that the state’s preparedness framework was first tested during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and further strengthened during the COVID-19 pandemic.