Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC202562 (Oral 062) | Published: 14 Aug 2025
Esu Stanley Ezeani1,2,&, Olumuyiwa Elijah Ariyo3, Emeka Fredrick Ezeani4, Olamide Ahmed Ademiluyi5, Olufemi Abayomi6, Alowooye Bosede1, Uwem Edet7, Alphonso Yarseah8, Folakemi Olomojobi1, Alabi Olasunkanmi1, Paul Jayieola9, Dangana Egbunu10, Iliya Dongs10, Jacob Mbonteh10
1Ekiti State Ministry of Health and Human Resources, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, 2Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 3Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, 4Liverpool John Moores University, England, UK, 5Ekiti State Ministry of Environment, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria, 6Ministry of Defence, Abuja, Nigeria, 7National Veterinary Research Council, Jos, Nigeria, 8Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeriac, 9National Space Research and Development Center, Abuja, Nigeria, 10International University Bamenda, Bamenda, Cameroon
&Corresponding author: Esu Stanley Ezeani, Medical Research Council Unit, The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical, Banjul, The Gambia. Email: susustan@gmail.com
Received: 20 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 14 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs), Lassa Fever, Emergency Preparedness, Response, Health Facilities, Health Workers, Surveillance, Training and Knowledge, Case Management Protocols, Ekiti State, Nigeria
©Esu Stanley Ezeani et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Esu Stanley Ezeani et al., Emergency preparedness of health facilities and health workers for viral hemorrhagic fevers in Ekiti State, Nigeria. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00062. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO5-00062
Viral hemorrhagic fever (VHFs) remains a serious public health concern in West Africa, with Nigeria reporting recurring outbreaks. Preparedness of health facilities is essential for effective surveillance, early detection, and rapid response. However, limited assessments exist that evaluate institutional and workforce readiness at sub-national levels. This study assessed the readiness of health facilities (HFs) and health workers (HWs) in Ekiti State, Nigeria, to respond to VHF outbreaks, including Lassa Fever. The objectives were to determine the proportion of health facilities with functional VHF preparedness protocols, assess training and knowledge levels of HCWs regarding VHF management, identify key institutional gaps, and make recommendations for improving outbreak response capacity.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 59 randomly selected HFs in Ekiti State. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from the WHO hospital preparedness tool. HWs (n=136) were surveyed on their knowledge, training, and availability of emergency protocols. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0, and the level of significance, p-value, was set at < 0.05. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ekiti State Ministry of Health Ethics Committee.
Most facilities had epidemic preparedness protocols (76.3%), epidemic management committee (93.2%), and budget for surveillance activity (72.9%). However, only 76.3% had specific VHF case management protocols. Among HWs, 78.0% had received training on VHF management, 96.6% on infection prevention and control (IPC), and 98.3% on disease surveillance. Good knowledge of VHF was found in 59.0% of HWs. A significant association was found between duration of employment (>10 years) and knowledge level p = 0.036).
While most HFs in Ekiti State demonstrated baseline preparedness for managing VHFs, critical gaps remain in training, surveillance protocols, and resource allocation. Improving preparedness through regular capacity building, investment in case management protocols, and sustained funding is crucial to strengthening outbreak readiness.
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