Health
Fresh Ebola Outbreak Hits DR Congo as WHO Disburses $1m to Tackle Virus
By Dipo Olowookere
A fresh outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) has been confirmed in Bikoro in Equateur Province of Democratic Republic of Congo.
The government of DR Congo on Tuesday declared the new outbreak after laboratory results confirmed two cases of EVD.
This is DRC’s ninth outbreak of EVD since the discovery of the virus in the country in 1976. In the past five weeks, there have been 21 suspected viral haemorrhagic fever in and around the iIkoko Iponge, including 17 deaths.
The Ebola virus causes an acute, serious illness which is often fatal if untreated. The average EVD case fatality rate is around 50%. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.
The Ministry of Health of Democratic of the Congo (DRC) informed WHO that two out of five samples collected from five patients tested positive for EVD at the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale (INRB) in Kinshasa. More specimens are being collected for testing.
WHO is now working closely with the Government of the DRC to rapidly scale up its operations and mobilize health partners using the model of a successful response to a similar EVD outbreak in 2017.
“Our top priority is to get to Bikoro to work alongside the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and partners to reduce the loss of life and suffering related to this new Ebola virus disease outbreak,” said Dr Peter Salama, WHO Deputy Director-General, Emergency Preparedness and Response. “Working with partners and responding early and in a coordinated way will be vital to containing this deadly disease.”
The first multidisciplinary team comprised of experts from WHO, Médecins Sans Frontières and Provincial Division of Health travelled today to Bikoro to strengthen coordination and investigations.
Bikoro is situated in Equateur Province on the shores of Lake Tumba in the north-western part of the country near the Republic of the Congo. All cases were reported from iIkoko Iponge health facility located about 30 kilometres from Bikoro. Health facilities in Bikoro have very limited functionality, and rely on international organizations to provide supplies that frequently stock out.
“We know that addressing this outbreak will require a comprehensive and coordinated response. WHO will work closely with health authorities and partners to support the national response. We will gather more samples, conduct contact tracing, engage the communities with messages on prevention and control, and put in place methods for improving data collection and sharing,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO Regional Director for Africa.
“WHO is closely working with other partners, including Médecins Sans Frontières, to ensure a strong, response to support the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to prevent and control the spreading of the disease from the epicentre of iIkoko Iponge Health Zone to save lives,” said Dr Allarangar Yokouide, WHO Representative in the DRC.
Upon learning about the laboratory results today, WHO set up its Incident Management System to fully dedicate staff and resources across the organization to the response. WHO plans to deploy epidemiologists, logisticians, clinicians, infection prevention and control experts, risk communications experts and vaccination support teams in the coming days. WHO will also be determining supply needs and help fill gaps, such as for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). WHO has also alerted neighbouring countries.
WHO released $1 million from its Contingency Fund for Emergencies to support response activities for the next three months with the goal of stopping the spread of Ebola to surrounding provinces and countries.
Building on the 2017 response
Ebola is endemic to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The last Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo occurred in 2017 in Likati Health Zone, Bas Uele Province, in the northern part of the country and was quickly contained thanks to joint efforts by the Government of DRC, WHO and many different partners.
An effective response to the 2017 EVD outbreak was achieved through the timely alert by local authorities of suspect cases, immediate testing of blood samples due to strengthened national laboratory capacity, the early announcement of the outbreak by the government, rapid response activities by local and national health authorities with the robust support of international partners, and speedy access to flexible funding.
Coordination support on the ground by WHO was critical and an Incident Management System was set up within 24 hours of the outbreak being announced. WHO deployed more than 50 experts to work closely with government and partners.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The chairman of Rite Foods Limited, Mr Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa, has been commended for donating an ultra-modern Trauma Centre to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) in Sagamu, Ogun State.
The facility, donated to mark his 80th birthday, is a one-stop trauma centre with all the medical equipment and healthcare personnel to handle about 2,000 trauma cases in a month, from the severe to the minor ones.
Speaking at the commissioning of the 50-bedded facility, named Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre, by the Vice President of Nigeria, Mr Kashim Shettima, on Saturday, April 5, 2025, it was stated that the centre would enhance healthcare delivery for accident victims and other trauma-related cases within Ogun and neighbouring states.
Mr Shettima noted that the provision of the healthcare facility was timely, as it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for upgrading the health institutions in the country.
He described the life of the donor as well lived, with significant impact in the society and immediate community, creating employment for the indigenes of Ogun State, through valuable business enterprises, like Rite Foods Limited and Ess-ay Holdings Limited, which has contributed to the growth of the state’s and national economy.
According to the VP, Mr Adegunwa has inscribed his name in gold, adding that the octogenarian believes in leaving legacies that lives for generation and this has prompted the trauma centre which will impact lives tremendously.
On his part, Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State applauded the philanthropic initiative of Mr Adegunwa, saying he has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the healthcare system of Ogun State, and that the trauma centre marks a significant milestone towards attaining that.
In her remark, the Chief Medical Director of OOUTH, Dr Oluwabunmi Fatungase, said the 50 bedded centre has been the desire of the management of the hospital, as the old 20 bedded accident and emergency centre is too small to accommodate accident victims within the state, which serves as a route for travellers traversing the different regions of the country, with a 41.5 percent accident rate.
She said it is a dream of over 20 years by various administrations come true as there is no General Hospital from Lagos to Benin and Ibadan to take care of accident victims, thereby making the trauma centre a well thought out project by Asiwaju Adegunwa.
On his part, Mr Adegunwa said, “Today, l am filled with immense joy as l reflect on Sulaiman Adebola Adegunwa Trauma Centre as another fulfilment of opportunity to serve a higher calling to give and serve.”
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A partnership to advance high-quality patient-centred healthcare in Nigeria has been entered into between Iwosan Investments Limited and Mayo Clinic Global Consulting.
The aim is to advise and support Iwosan in delivering world-class healthcare services that will positively impact both local and regional communities.
This includes the enhancement of Iwosan’s hospital network starting with Iwosan Lagoon Hospitals and the development and integration of the Lagos Medipark Hospital.
Mayo Clinic Global Consulting will to provide strategic advice on organizational objectives and clinical practice.
Under the consulting contract, Iwosan will work with Mayo Clinic experts on several projects to advance high-quality, patient-centred healthcare in Nigeria.
Mayo Clinic is a global leader in serious and complex healthcare. Mayo Clinic Global Consulting is designed to share Mayo Clinic’s unique, comprehensive capabilities and knowledge.
The focus of this engagement is to help the Iwosan network improve administrative efficiencies and effectiveness and to enhance medical practice and patient care through the application of Mayo Clinic’s integrated clinical care and practice models.
“This marks a significant milestone in our commitment to delivering exceptional healthcare services to the people of Nigeria.
“With guidance from Mayo Clinic Global Consulting, we are confident in our ability to set new benchmarks in healthcare excellence in our region,” the chief executive of Iwosan Investments, Mrs Fola Laoye, stated.
Iwosan Investments is a healthcare investment company with an ongoing commitment to revolutionize healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) is increasing efforts to block the entry of substandard and counterfeit products into Nigeria, particularly from China and India, the country’s two largest pharmaceutical trade partners.
This was revealed by Mrs Mojisola Adeyeye, the Director-General of the agency, emphasised that the Clean Report of Inspection and Analysis (CRIA) scheme has significantly strengthened regulatory control over imports from these nations.
The two nation’s account for 60 per cent of Nigeria’s pharmaceutical imports and yet, there is a lot of counterfeit and substandard medicines from these countries.
She said, “Because most of these drugs come from China and India, the CRIA scheme is operational in those two countries,” adding that, “It ensures that only safe and high-quality products are shipped while preventing the export of substandard and counterfeit products.”
She note that NAFDAC has appointed and accredited CRIA agents in China and India to conduct rigorous pre-shipment inspections to tackle the issue.
In addition to appointing CRIA agents in China and India, NAFDAC is collaborating with COTECNA, a global testing, inspection, and certification service provider, to enhance quality control measures.
Mrs Adeyeye urged stakeholders to engage with these CRIA agents before shipping any consignment to Nigeria, saying, “I strongly encourage you to engage with CRIA agents before shipping any consignment–that is, to our stakeholders– from China, India, or Nigeria. You have the flexibility to choose from any of the listed CRIA agents to ensure compliance and safeguard the quality of imported products.”
NAFDAC also introduced an electronic platform, the Port Inspection Data Capture and Risk Management System (PIDCARMS), to enhance document verification and streamline inspection processes.
Mrs Adeyeye noted that CRIA agents will ensure that rejected shipments carrying drugs will not find their way to the country.
She urged stakeholders to visit NAFDAC’s official website for guidelines on product registration, labelling, and shipment requirements to ensure compliance with regulatory standards in order to prevent such lapses and ensure only approved products enter Nigeria.
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