| Says this may occur if no new confirmed or possible circumstances emerge | Minister speaks after medical evacuation of index affected person to Switzerland
The coordinating minister of well being and social welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has mentioned Nigeria may declare the Ebola outbreak over by December 7, 2026, if no new confirmed or possible circumstances emerge and the required 42-day countdown is validated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The minister disclosed this on his X deal with following the medical evacuation of Nigeria’s imported Ebola index affected person and her husband to Switzerland on Monday.
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Although Nigeria has recorded no further Ebola circumstances for the reason that index case was confirmed, surveillance and contact-tracing actions are persevering with, with 52 contacts nonetheless beneath monitoring within the nation.
Pate mentioned the December 7 date remained provisional, pending validation of the 42-day countdown by the NCDC and WHO consistent with established standards. He warned that any new confirmed or possible case would necessitate a recent countdown.
He mentioned well being authorities had been sustaining lively surveillance, promptly investigating alerts and strengthening preparedness throughout well being services to stop additional transmission.
The minister added that response groups had been working with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), state well being authorities and companions to maintain containment measures.
He urged Nigerians to stay vigilant, cooperate with contact-tracing groups and depend on verified data.
Nigeria confirmed its first imported case of Ebola virus illness attributable to the Bundibugyo virus on October 20, 2026, after laboratory checks detected the an infection in a girl who had travelled from Uganda.
According to the top of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya, the lady arrived in Abuja on October 3 after spending two weeks on vacation in Uganda.
Kaseya mentioned she developed signs three days after arriving in Nigeria however initially suspected malaria. She subsequently sought remedy at a number of well being services in Abuja earlier than testing optimistic for Ebola on October 19, elevating issues concerning the well timed detection of the an infection.
Ebola is a extreme viral illness that may be deadly and spreads by direct contact with the blood or different bodily fluids of an contaminated individual, in addition to contaminated supplies. Early detection, immediate isolation and call tracing are vital to stopping additional transmission.
Following affirmation of the case, 44 contacts had been initially recognized for monitoring, whereas investigations continued to ascertain the affected person’s publicity historical past and determine others who might need come into contact along with her.
The NCDC activated its incident administration system to coordinate the response, working with the WHO, Africa CDC and different companions to strengthen surveillance, contact tracing and an infection prevention and management measures.
As investigations progressed, the variety of recognized contacts elevated from 44 to 53, together with healthcare staff and the affected person’s husband.
On October 26, Pate confirmed that the affected person had been medically evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland alongside her husband, who had remained asymptomatic.
He mentioned the affected person was clinically steady, acutely aware and speaking, along with her laboratory check outcomes approaching baseline ranges. However, he cautioned that her scientific enchancment didn’t essentially imply she was not infectious, stressing that strict public well being protocols had been maintained all through the evacuation.
Meanwhile, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, mentioned Switzerland would take duty for the affected person’s continued medical administration and the follow-up of her husband, recognized as contact quantity 53.
Janabi recommended the Nigerian authorities and well being staff for stabilising the affected person earlier than her evacuation, describing the response as an indication of African experience and management in public well being.
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