Nigeria Could Be Declared Ebola-Free by December 7, FG Says

The Federal Government has said Nigeria could declare the Ebola outbreak over as early as December 7, 2026, if no further confirmed or probable cases are detected and the country meets the conditions set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Monday evening, explaining that the proposed date depends on continued contact monitoring and validation of the required 42-day countdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the WHO.

Pate stressed that the date remains provisional, warning that any additional confirmed or probable case could require a fresh countdown in line with the established criteria.

The Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20. According to the WHO, the female patient had recently travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11 before the infection was confirmed.

The NCDC said on Sunday that 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case were being monitored. The government has prioritised contact tracing, investigating alerts and strengthening preparedness across health facilities to prevent further transmission.

The development follows the medical evacuation of the patient and her husband to Switzerland on Monday. Pate said the patient’s condition had improved significantly and that she was stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health confirmed that the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospital, while her husband, identified as a close contact, had been placed in isolation at Zurich University Hospital.

Swiss authorities said the situation posed no public health risk to the country, noting that both hospitals had specialised isolation facilities and trained medical personnel to manage infectious diseases such as Ebola.

Under WHO guidelines, an Ebola outbreak can be declared over after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case, provided the required conditions for ending transmission have been met.