KWARA TRAINS HEALTH WORKERS TO DETECT EBOLA AND DIPHTHERIA EARLY

Ministry of Health organizes capacity-building session for frontline personnel to strengthen disease surveillance, rapid response mechanisms, and community containment measures across the state

The Kwara State Ministry of Health has organized specialized sensitization training for frontline health workers on early detection, surveillance, and prompt reporting of Ebola virus disease and diphtheria.  

The proactive medical exercise was designed to strengthen local disease surveillance frameworks, enhance infection prevention and control measures, and mitigate the potential risk of epidemic outbreaks within communities.  

Speaking during the training session, public health experts emphasized that early detection remains critical to breaking transmission chains and reducing mortality rates associated with infectious diseases.

In her presentation on diphtheria surveillance, health officials noted that transmission occurs through respiratory droplets and direct contact with infected lesions, stressing that rapid identification allows for immediate clinical isolation and administrative control.  

Addressing Ebola preparedness, Senior Liaison Officer from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Dr. Gloria Ogunkunle, outlined key clinical indicators that must trigger immediate suspicion among healthcare providers, including sudden fever accompanied by symptoms such as severe headache, lethargy, muscle pain, vomiting, and abdominal discomfort.  

State health authorities reaffirmed their commitment to supporting local health workers with essential diagnostic tools and operational logistics, urging healthcare facilities across all local government areas to maintain heightened clinical vigilance and report suspected cases promptly to public health response teams.