The World Health Organization (WHO) has clarified that Nigeria currently has no confirmed cases of Ebola following the medical evacuation of the country’s index patient to Switzerland.
The clarification follows misinterpretations of an update shared on social media by the WHO Regional Director for Africa regarding the status of the viral outbreak response.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare confirmed that the index patient, who tested positive for the Ebola virus in Abuja, was successfully transported out of Nigeria via an air ambulance accompanied by her spouse.
Health officials reported that the patient had shown significant clinical improvement, remaining stable and communicative.
However, the ministry emphasized that clinical recovery does not rule out potential infectivity, prompting strict safety protocols during the transfer.
While the departure of the patient means Nigeria currently hosts no active hospitalized cases, public health authorities stress that the country is not yet officially declared Ebola-free.
Under International Health Regulations, a formal declaration that an outbreak is over requires completing a mandatory 42-day countdown period without any new confirmed cases, subsequent to the clearance or evacuation of the last positive case.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and health partners are actively tracking 52 contacts linked to the index case, alongside the continuous monitoring of the patient’s spouse.
The WHO and federal health agencies have urged the public to rely exclusively on official briefings, avoid panic, and adhere strictly to designated public health guidelines as heightened surveillance remains active across the country.
