Minister of Health, Muhammad Pate, said the medical evacuation of a female Ebola patient to Switzerland could signal the end of the outbreak in Nigeria, provided all 52 isolated persons test negative for the virus.
He explained that Nigeria could be declared Ebola-free by December 7 if it met all the conditions outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“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,” Mr Pate wrote on X.
For a country to be declared free of an infectious disease, it must complete the WHO’s required 42-day period without a new confirmed case.
“This date remains provisional, subject to @NCDCgov and WHO validating the 42-day countdown. Any further case would require a fresh countdown in accordance with those criteria,” he wrote.
Mr Pate said Nigeria’s priority was to monitor the 52 identified contacts and strengthen preparedness across all health facilities. The Nigerian government would also pay each isolated person a weekly allowance of N100,000 to cushion the financial impact of isolation on them and their families.
The Ebola patient in Nigeria and her husband were flown to Switzerland on Monday. She is a Ugandan-born national who is married to a Swiss diplomat.
Mr Pate said she was already speaking clearly and showing signs of recovery at the time of the evacuation.
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