Ebola: Why Nigeria approved patient’s evacuation to Switzerland — NCDC

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has explained why the Federal Government approved the medical evacuation of Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient to Switzerland, citing diplomatic requests, human rights considerations and compliance with international health regulations.

The Director-General of NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, said the decision followed consultations with the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, and consideration of the safeguards required to prevent further transmission of the virus during the patient’s transportation.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Idris said the patient, a Swiss national, was still testing positive for Ebola when she was evacuated, adding that the Swiss authorities had been informed and made appropriate arrangements for her transfer.

He dismissed suggestions that the patient had been secretly removed from Nigeria, explaining that the evacuation followed a diplomatic request from the Swiss Embassy.

“I won’t use the word ‘snuck out’. That’s a no-brainer. It is the first time something like that has happened,” he said.

According to him, the government considered the implications of the evacuation for international health regulations, public health and the patient’s human rights before granting approval.

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“In making that request, after discussion with the Honourable Minister, a lot of factors were considered. One, how does it touch international health regulation issues? Can we beat it back? Can we prevent such a thing? Second, the issue of human rights and, of course, one aspect of it being a public health issue,” Idris said.

He explained that the authorities ensured that appropriate infection prevention and control measures were maintained from the hospital where the patient was receiving treatment to the aircraft that transported her to Switzerland.

“There is an infection prevention and control guideline, starting from the hospital where the patient was taken, and that was maintained. This was how the patient was protected.

“The patient was removed down to the aircraft that came from Switzerland because we were sure that there was going to be proper receipt of the patient at the other end,” he said.

Idris disclosed that the patient had tested positive twice before the evacuation, while her husband, who was also evacuated to Switzerland, tested negative.

On concerns about the patient’s continued positive status despite reports of clinical improvement, the NCDC chief explained that the treatment provided by Nigerian doctors had helped stabilise her condition but did not necessarily mean the virus had been cleared from her body.

He said Ebola treatment involved managing symptoms and complications while the patient’s immune system fought the infection, noting that there was no established antiviral treatment specifically targeting the virus strain responsible for the current outbreak.

“The patient can still remain positive because the virus is still in the blood. There are no drugs to deal with this virus,” he said.

Idris commended the Nigerian medical team for stabilising the patient, who had reportedly developed multiple organ failure during the course of her illness.

He explained that Ebola could affect several organs, including the kidneys, liver and brain, potentially leading to severe complications, fluid loss, shock and death.

The NCDC director-general said the disease could initially present with symptoms such as fever, body aches and headaches, which might resemble malaria.

However, he warned that the condition could progress to more severe symptoms, including diarrhoea, bleeding, lethargy and organ dysfunction.

He urged Nigerians who developed symptoms consistent with Ebola, particularly those who had contact with suspected or confirmed cases, to seek prompt medical attention.

On how the virus spreads, Idris said Ebola was not airborne, explaining that transmission occurred primarily through direct contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person or contaminated materials.

“Transmission is not airborne. It is by touch, by touch, contact,” he said, stressing that breaking the chain of transmission remained critical to containing the outbreak.

He also cautioned Nigerians against relying on herbal mixtures as a means of preventing or treating Ebola, noting that although some ingredients might offer general health benefits, there was no established evidence that such preparations could prevent or cure the infection.

Idris further warned that herbal products could have side effects, depending on their ingredients and how they were used.

Nigeria’s Ebola response has intensified following confirmation of an imported case involving a woman who travelled from Uganda and subsequently developed symptoms in Abuja.

The Federal Government has continued contact tracing, surveillance and monitoring of identified contacts to prevent further transmission.

The evacuation has prompted questions about Nigeria’s capacity to manage severe Ebola cases locally and the safeguards in place to protect healthcare workers and the wider public.