LAWMA Puts Lagos on Ebola Alert: No Cases in Nigeria Yet
Last update: June 5, 2026
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Heads up, Lagos, we don't have Ebola, but with fresh outbreaks reported in East Africa, LAWMA says it's time to get our house in order before anything lands here.
The Lagos Waste Management Authority dropped a precautionary advisory on Friday, and it's aimed squarely at health facilities and the people who handle our medical waste.
Managing Director Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin was clear: there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease in Lagos State or anywhere in Nigeria. This is not panic mode, it's prep mode.
"Although there is currently no confirmed case of Ebola in Lagos or Nigeria, preparedness remains one of the most effective tools in disease prevention," he said.
Why waste handlers? Because Gbadegesin stressed that effective medical waste management is critical to stopping infectious diseases in their tracks, it protects healthcare workers, patients, waste handlers and the rest of us.
So what is LAWMA asking for?
Hospitals and clinics: strengthen your infection prevention and control measures. That means proper segregation of infectious waste at source, not mixing it with general rubbish.
Hand hygiene and PPE: reinforce handwashing, make sure staff are actually using personal protective equipment properly, and follow safe handling of medical specimens.
Clean environments: step up environmental decontamination procedures across wards and labs.
Waste transporters: stick strictly to the approved collection, transportation and disposal guidelines, and wear the right protective gear every single time.
Cbinewstv reports that LAWMA says it will keep monitoring compliance and will continue engaging stakeholders across the state's healthcare and sanitation systems. They also want health institutions to regularly review their protocols and report anything suspicious immediately through the proper channels.
The message to residents is reassuring but firm: Lagos remains on high alert, surveillance systems are active, and ongoing training and sensitisation will continue statewide.
Think of it as the lesson from 2014, Nigeria was certified free of Ebola by the World Health Organisation on 20 October 2014 after containing an outbreak that killed at least seven people, and the state does not want to be caught off guard again.
No need to panic, just need to prepare.
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