The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has approved weekly payments of N100,000 per person for individuals placed in isolation or quarantine as part of efforts to contain the Ebola outbreak in the Federal Capital Territory.
The agency’s Director General, Dr Jide Idris, announced the emergency financial support during a press briefing in Abuja on Sunday.
Idris explained that the payments were introduced after people placed under monitoring raised concerns about the costs of feeding, accommodation and supporting their families while in isolation.
“We introduced the payment after some contacts raised concerns about feeding, accommodation and how to take care of their families while under monitoring. The support is to ease their financial burden and encourage them to cooperate with health officials,” Idris said.
He noted that the financial assistance was not included in the initial response plan but became necessary after the concerns were raised by affected individuals.
“This was not planned for, but it is an emergency. We will continue to review it as we go along,” he said.
The NCDC chief also urged state governments to make adequate financial and logistical preparations for public health emergencies.
He stressed that responsibility for containing disease outbreaks should not fall solely on the Federal Capital Territory, calling for broader preparedness and support from state governments.
