N’assembly calls for mandatory Ebola screening at airports, seaports, land borders
The national assembly has called for mandatory health screening of all passengers arriving in Nigeria through international airports, seaports and designated land borders to prevent the importation of Ebola and other contagious diseases.
On Tuesday, the federal government confirmed a case of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria.
Both chambers also urged the federal government to release emergency funds from the Service-Wide Votes to strengthen the country’s response to the disease.
In the senate, the resolutions followed a motion of urgent national importance sponsored by Francis Faduyile, senator representing Ondo south, on the need to enforce mandatory health screening at all international entry points.
Moving the motion, Faduyile, a former president of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of importing Ebola amid the outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its spread to other African countries.
He noted that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) had rated the risk of importation into the country as high, recalling that a traveller brought Ebola into Nigeria through the Lagos airport in July 2014.
The senator also raised concerns about gaps in Nigeria’s screening measures, including the narrowing of health declaration requirements to travellers from listed countries, the absence of adequate Port Health personnel and equipment at some entry points, and the outdated legal framework governing quarantine services.
The motion noted that Nigeria is also battling Lassa fever, cholera and diphtheria, warning that another epidemic could place additional pressure on the country’s healthcare system.
RESOLUTIONS
Under the resolutions, the senate urged the federal ministry of health and social welfare, the NCDC and Port Health Services to make health screening compulsory for all arriving international passengers.
The proposed measures include health declaration forms, temperature checks and symptom screening, with enhanced screening for anyone who has been in or transited an affected area within the preceding 21 days, regardless of nationality or country of departure.
The senate also called for exit screening for departing passengers during any declared emergency.
It urged the federal ministry of health and social welfare, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to ensure that all entry points are adequately staffed and equipped with trained Port Health officers, thermal scanners, protective equipment and isolation rooms.
The chamber further called for isolation and treatment centres to be made ready across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The senate mandated its committees on health, primary healthcare, development and disease control, aviation, interior and appropriations to engage relevant agencies, inspect major entry points and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.
It also directed the committee on legislative compliance to monitor the implementation of the resolutions.
In an additional prayer, the senate urged Nigerians to remain conscious of the threat and make hand sanitisers available at event centres, institutions, private premises and public places.
SENATORS CALL FOR AMENDMENT OF QUARANTINE ACT
Adamu Aliero, senator representing Kebbi central, said most of the measures proposed in the motion were already being implemented by the relevant ministry, but emphasised the need for caution.
“Virtually all the prayers that have been canvassed, the ministry has started doing them. We have to be very careful; let us do all we can to control this disease,” he said.
Tahir Monguno, the senate chief whip and senator representing Borno north, called for an amendment of the Quarantine Act to reflect current public health realities.
“There is the need for this parliament to amend the Quarantine Act of 1976 to bring it in tandem with existing realities,” he said.
The motion referred to the Quarantine Act of 1926 as the law governing Port Health Services and called for its replacement with modern public health legislation consistent with International Health Regulations (2005).
Ekong Samson, senator representing Akwa Ibom south, also backed the motion, warning that a disease outbreak could spread rapidly and disrupt the country.
“I want to pull my weight behind this motion because of its urgency, substance and importance. We have to take our healthcare system very serious, so we can protect ourselves,” he said.
Sadiq Umar, senator representing Kwara north, said Nigeria must prevent the spread of Ebola and called for a coordinated response involving multiple agencies.
“Nigeria must not allow a single spread of Ebola; I think we should take this seriously. We need a multi-agency approach so we can tackle this,” he said.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio criticised what he described as a lack of seriousness in the aviation sector’s handling of the threat and urged relevant agencies to become more proactive.
“The nonchalance with which the aviation sector treated this, everybody must now wake up,” he said.
“We have to be proactive; everybody must take part. If it spreads, it will be a major problem. This is a medical emergency, a very deadly one.”
