Ebola: Nigeria Health Watch identifies gaps in public information
Abuja, Oct. 2026 (TBL Africa) A social listening exercise conducted by Nigeria Health Watch has identified gaps in public information on Ebola response.
This includes awareness of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) hotline.
The findings are contained in a report made available to newsmen
The report covers online conversations between Oct. 20 and Oct. 22 following the confirmation of an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
It recorded 927 Ebola-related mentions out of 2,442 mentions captured during the monitoring period.
It said discussions on contacts and tracing accounted for 314 mentions, while airports, travel and borders accounted for 239.
According to the report, 162 mentions concerned money, politics and mistrust, while 57 referenced the NCDC’s 6232 hotline.
It also found that discussions on money, politics and mistrust increased from 10 per cent of Ebola-related mentions during the initial Tuesday evening period to 26 per cent on Thursday morning.
The report identified questions about the reported N10 billion Ebola response fund, guidance for health facilities, and contact-tracing figures.
It also identified questions about public awareness of the hotline, vaccine availability for the Bundibugyo strain and the risk of stigma.
It said that health workers were seeking clearer guidance on case definitions, personal protective equipment and referral procedures for suspected cases.
The report also highlighted differences between the 44 close contacts initially reported and 46 contacts subsequently mentioned in connection with a no-fly list.
It said 128 mentions addressed how Ebola spreads, including explanations that the virus is not airborne.
The report recommended improved communication to address information gaps and ensure that the public had access to reliable guidance during the outbreak response.
It said that the findings reflected online conversations captured during the monitoring period and did not necessarily represent the views of the wider Nigerian population.
