FG sets December 7 to declare Nigeria Ebola-free

The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria could be officially declared free of the Ebola virus disease as early as December 7, 2026, provided no further cases are confirmed within the nation.

This projection hinges strictly on meeting all operational conditions stipulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for ending transmission.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Monday evening. He stated that the targeted date remains provisional and requires the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the WHO to successfully validate a mandatory 42-day countdown without any new infections.

“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.

The single Ebola case was confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on October 20. According to the WHO, the patient recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7, and sought medical attention on October 11 before her infection was confirmed.

After the discovery, the NCDC confirmed it is actively monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to the index case.

The health minister stated that the government’s main priority is to track all identified contacts and strengthen emergency preparedness across health facilities to prevent further community transmission.

In a related development, the infected female patient and her husband were evacuated to Switzerland on Monday. According to reports, the patient is clinically much improved, stable, conscious, and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

A press statement released on Monday by the Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) confirmed the arrival and management of the patients.

“The patient is receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospital (HUG), while her husband, identified as a close contact, has been placed in isolation at Zurich University Hospital (USZ).”

Swiss authorities maintained that the medical evacuation poses no health risk to their country. The FOPH stressed that both hospitals possess specialised isolation wards and trained personnel equipped to manage highly infectious diseases while protecting healthcare workers and the public.

Switzerland’s federal councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, held a telephone conversation with Nigeria’s Minister of Health. She expressed appreciation to the Federal Government, thanking Nigerian doctors and healthcare professionals for their diligent care of the two Swiss nationals prior to their departure.