Nigeria could become Ebola-free as early as December 7 if no further confirmed or probable cases of Ebola are detected, according to Muhammad Pate, Coordinating Miinister of Health and Social Welfare.
Pate disclosed this on Monday, following the medical evacuation of Nigeria’s imported Ebola index patient to Switzerland.
He said the government’s immediate priorities remained active monitoring of identified contacts, prompt investigation of alerts and strengthened preparedness across health facilities to prevent further transmission.
“If no further confirmed or probable cases are detected, Nigeria could progress towards declaring this outbreak over under WHO criteria, potentially as early as 7 December 2026,” Pate said.
He, however, stressed that the date remained provisional, pending validation of the 42-day countdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Any further confirmed or probable case would require a fresh countdown in line with WHO criteria, he said.
The index patient, a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman and wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, was confirmed to have Ebola virus disease on October 20. She was evacuated from Nigeria on Monday, October 26, alongside her husband, who was also identified as a contact.
The patient had travelled to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, arriving on October 3. She developed symptoms on October 7 and sought treatment at a private health facility on October 11 before her infection was confirmed through laboratory testing.
Nigeria identified 53 contacts linked to the case.
Pate said response teams were working with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state health authorities and partners to contain the disease and prevent community transmission.
He urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow official updates from the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Related News
