By Sola Ogundipe
Nigeria could declare the Ebola outbreak over as early as December 7, 2026, if no further confirmed or probable cases are detected following the medical evacuation of the country’s imported index patient.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, disclosed the provisional date on Monday as health authorities intensified contact tracing, investigated suspected cases and strengthened preparedness across health facilities to prevent further spread of the Bundibugyo virus disease.
Writing on his X handle, Pate said the 42-day countdown towards declaring the outbreak over would be subject to validation by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), in line with established outbreak management criteria.
The development follows the evacuation of Nigeria’s index patient to Switzerland for further medical care, a move that has heightened attention on the country’s capacity to sustain containment measures and prevent community transmission.
According to Pate, “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.
“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. 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,” Pate noted.
He said the proposed December 7 date is therefore not a final declaration that Nigeria is Ebola-free, but a conditional target that depends on the absence of further cases and the completion of the required surveillance period.
Further, he said, “Our teams, working with FCTA and state health authorities and our partners, remain focused on containment and preventing community transmission.
“I ask Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow regular updates from @NCDCgov and @Fmohnigeria.”
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