The Federal Government says Nigeria could declare the Ebola outbreak over by December 7, 2026, if no further confirmed or probable cases are detected and the country meets the World Health Organisation’s requirements.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on today in a post on his X handle, stressing that the proposed date remains provisional pending the validation of the required 42-day countdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the WHO.
The government confirmed an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20. According to the WHO, the patient had recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention four days later before the infection was confirmed.
The NCDC said it was monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case, while the government continues to strengthen surveillance and preparedness across health facilities to prevent further transmission.
Meanwhile, the patient and her husband have been evacuated to Switzerland for further medical care and monitoring. The minister said the patient’s condition had improved significantly and she was stable, conscious and able to communicate.
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health confirmed that the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospital, while her husband, identified as a close contact, was isolated at Zurich University Hospital.
Swiss authorities said the country faced no public health risk from the case, noting that the hospitals had specialised isolation facilities and trained personnel to manage infectious diseases.
The Swiss Federal Councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, also expressed appreciation to Nigeria’s health minister and commended Nigerian doctors and other healthcare workers for caring for the two nationals before their evacuation.
Under WHO criteria, an Ebola outbreak can generally be declared over after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case, once the required conditions have been met. The proposed December 7 date could, however, change if another case is detected.
