…says surveillance, contact tracing remain top priorities after evacuation of index patient
Nigeria could declare its imported Ebola outbreak over as early as December 7, 2026, if no further confirmed or probable cases are detected, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, has said.
Pate, who disclosed this in a post on his verified X account on Monday, said the government’s immediate priorities remained monitoring identified contacts, investigating suspected cases and strengthening preparedness across health facilities following the medical evacuation of the country’s index patient.
He, however, stressed that the December 7 date was provisional and subject to validation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the minister, any additional confirmed or probable case would require a fresh countdown in line with WHO criteria for declaring an Ebola outbreak over.
“Following the imported Ebola index patient’s medical evacuation from Nigeria today, 26 October, our immediate priorities remain active monitoring of all identified contacts, prompt investigation of alerts and strengthened readiness across our health facilities,” he stated.
Pate explained that the country could begin the process of declaring the outbreak over if the surveillance period passed without the detection of another confirmed or probable case.
“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,” he said.
He added that the date would depend on the validation of the 42-day countdown by the NCDC and WHO, noting that the emergence of another case would reset the timeline.
The minister further explained that the response teams were continuing to work with the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), state health authorities and development partners to contain the outbreak and prevent community transmission.
He urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and rely on official information from the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
“I ask Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow regular updates from the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare,” he added.
The development follows the medical evacuation of Nigeria’s index patient and her husband to Switzerland earlier on Monday.
The patient, a Swiss citizen, was reportedly clinically stable following treatment by Nigerian health workers. Her husband, who was evacuated alongside her, had remained asymptomatic.
Meanwhile, the Minister said the evacuation does not automatically mean that the patient is no longer infectious, making continued monitoring and adherence to established public health protocols critical to the response.
Health authorities have, however, continued to emphasise surveillance, contact tracing, prompt reporting of suspected cases and infection prevention measures as essential to preventing further transmission.
The Minister said the 42-day period is based on twice the maximum incubation period of Ebola virus disease, which is 21 days. “The countdown is used to establish whether transmission has been interrupted after the last possible exposure or relevant case, in accordance with WHO outbreak-closure criteria.
“For Nigeria, the coming weeks will therefore be critical in determining whether the imported infection has been contained without further spread.”
While the prospect of declaring the outbreak over by December 7 offers a potential timeline for ending the emergency, health authorities have maintained that sustained vigilance and public cooperation remain essential to achieving that goal.
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