Staying home for 21 days is easy to advise and hard to do when your family depends on your daily income. Nigeria’s disease control agency is now paying to make it possible.
NCDC Director-General Dr Jide Idris told a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday that contacts in isolation or quarantine linked to Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola case will receive ₦100,000 per person per week to cover feeding, accommodation and family expenses during monitoring.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency,” Idris said. The decision followed complaints from contacts about the financial strain of complying with public health measures, and will be reviewed as the response continues. He urged state governments to budget for contact tracing, isolation and emergency response.
More contacts, two suspected cases
The number of primary contacts has risen to 53, up from 44 last week. They include health workers, household members, domestic staff and personnel who collected samples from the patient. Each will be monitored for 21 days after their last possible exposure. One contact who reported feeling unwell tested negative.
Idris also said two additional suspected cases had been identified. NCDC has not yet released details or test results.
Why paying contacts makes sense
In past outbreaks, people have dodged quarantine because they could not afford to stop working. When contacts disappear, chains of transmission go unseen. Covering their basic needs is one of the most practical ways to keep them in place and keep the outbreak contained.
The confirmed patient, who tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain on October 20, remains in isolation. The source of her infection is still under investigation.
If you develop fever, weakness, vomiting or diarrhoea after possible exposure, call NCDC on 6232. If the line does not connect, contact your state Ministry of Health or nearest government hospital by phone before going in person.
The Health Factor Africa
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