TELL Magazine

Onyebuchi Chukwu, the Minister of Health, on Monday said there had been no formal request from the United States for Nigeria’s assistance in combating the Ebola Virus Disease, EVD.
“As at Friday really, there was no formal request by the United States, for assistance in the containment of Ebola Virus Disease”, the minister, who spoke through Dan Nwomeh, his Special Assistant, Media and Communications, said during an enquiry by journalists on Monday in Abuja.
The US had last week recorded its first case of EVD. Thomas Duncan, who had reportedly flown in from Liberia and the first person to have been diagnosed with EVD in the US, is said to be fighting for his life in a hospital in Dallas.
Based on the success recorded by Nigeria in the containment of EVD in Lagos and Port Harcourt, speculations had been widespread that President Barak Obama’s administration would seek the intervention of Nigeria. A statement from Tom Frieden, Director of Centre for Disease Control and the Texas Health Department, said the patient had been hospitalised while contact tracing had commenced.