The ₦10 billion approved by President Bola Tinubu for Ebola preparedness will also support Nigeria’s response to other diseases, including Lassa fever, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Jide Idris, has said.

Idris disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night, while discussing the country’s Ebola preparedness and containment efforts.

According to him, the funding was not requested for Ebola alone but was intended to strengthen surveillance and disease control across the country, particularly as the Lassa fever season approaches.

“The money was requested not only for Ebola, but to address issues of control of other endemic diseases. Right now, Lassa fever season is coming,” he said.

He explained that several diseases require similar public health measures, including improved diagnostics, screening, surveillance and monitoring at the country’s entry points.

“Lassa fever and Ebola are the same class of viruses, just like ongoing fever and dengue fever. We have all this ongoing in this country. And many of the surveillance measures are the same,” Idris added.

He further listed screening, diagnostics and surveillance at points of entry among the measures the funding was expected to support.

“And that was the request initially. And the president graciously approved it then,” he said.

Idris dismisses allegation

eanwhile, Idris dismissed allegations that the Ebola outbreak was being used as a political tool by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He maintained that public health emergencies should not be politicised.

“That is totally false. We in the health sector will not use disease issues as a political weapon. And there will not be any postponement of the election on the case of Ebola? That’s not my decision,” he said.

In May, Tinubu approved the establishment of a Presidential Task Force on Ebola Virus Disease Preparedness and Emerging Public Health Threats. He also ordered the immediate release of ₦10 billion to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness and response to Ebola and other public health threats.

Transparency demanded

However, the fund has since become a subject of political disagreement, with opposition figures demanding transparency over its status and utilisation.

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had questioned the handling of the money and called on the Federal Government to publish a full account of the fund.

In response, the APC Presidential Campaign Council maintained that the ₦10 billion remained untouched. The council said the NCDC, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and other agencies involved in disease surveillance had been carrying out their activities with other available resources.