Nigeria Activates Health Declaration for Travelers Due to DRC Ebola Outbreak
Nigeria's Centre for Disease Control says travellers arriving from countries with active Ebola transmission must now fill out a Health Declaration Form, while those from other countries are exempt. The directive, signed by NCDC Director-General Jide Idris on 22 September, comes as the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo worsens - WHO recorded 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 deaths as of 21 September, a 48% fatality rate, with the Bundibugyo strain spreading to 63 health zones across seven provinces.
The form asks for the countries visited in the last 21 days, travel routes, intended destination in Nigeria and any health symptoms. State surveillance teams will do a 21-day follow-up after arrival. NCDC urged Nigerians to watch for Ebola-like symptoms - fever, vomiting, bleeding - and to seek care quickly, always telling health workers about any recent travel or exposure.
The measures are precautionary; NCDC will keep reviewing them as the outbreak evolves. Meanwhile, the International Organisation for Migration is boosting disease screenings along major travel routes, including river corridors and border areas. There is currently no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo strain, and insecurity in the DRC makes containment harder.
Will you complete the health declaration honestly if you've recently been to an Ebola-risk area, or would you avoid travel to affected countries altogether?