Isaac Samuel
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases following the medical evacuation of the country’s index patient and her husband to Switzerland, as authorities continue monitoring 52 other contacts linked to the infection.
The patient, a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman married to a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, was flown out of Nigeria early Monday aboard a medical evacuation aircraft after her condition improved significantly.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed the evacuation, saying it was carried out with his approval.
He said the patient was stable, conscious and able to communicate, with her laboratory results approaching normal levels after treatment by Nigerian medical teams.
However, Pate cautioned that the improvement did not necessarily mean she was no longer infectious, stressing that strict public health protocols were maintained during the evacuation.
The patient’s husband, who remained asymptomatic, accompanied her to Switzerland, where authorities will take responsibility for her continued medical management and his follow-up.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, announced the development on Monday, saying Nigeria currently had no Ebola cases following the evacuation.
Janabi commended the Federal Government, health workers, clinicians and emergency responders for their handling of the case, describing the development as a remarkable achievement.
He said the successful management of the patient demonstrated Africa’s capacity, resilience and leadership in public health, particularly when countries collaborate to respond to health emergencies.
HOW THE CASE WAS DETECTED
According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), the patient returned to Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3, 2026.
She reportedly developed symptoms four days later and sought medical attention at a private health facility on October 10 before presenting at another facility the following day.
The NCDC was notified on October 19, while laboratory confirmation followed on October 20. Her symptoms included fever, diarrhoea, generalised body aches and sore throat. No bleeding was reported at presentation.
The infection was identified as the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease, a rare variant associated with outbreaks in parts of Central and East Africa.
The source of the woman’s infection had not been established as of Monday, with investigations ongoing into how she contracted the virus.
The case prompted contact tracing and other containment measures by Nigerian health authorities. The NCDC had initially identified 53 contacts, including healthcare workers, domestic staff and the patient’s husband.
Following the evacuation of the couple, 52 contacts remain under follow-up in Nigeria, while Switzerland is expected to monitor the husband, who has not developed symptoms.
Health authorities are monitoring contacts for 21 days after their last possible exposure, in line with established public health procedures.
Janabi stressed that continued vigilance remained necessary despite the evacuation, as Nigeria’s declaration of having no current cases does not mean monitoring and containment measures have ended.
He said the successful stabilisation of the patient demonstrated the capacity of Nigerian health workers to respond to serious public health emergencies and underscored the importance of cooperation between countries.
Nigeria was previously affected by the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, when an imported case in Lagos triggered contact tracing and containment efforts.
The country subsequently contained the outbreak, which was declared over after 20 confirmed and probable cases were recorded.
