Nigeria targets December 7 to end Ebola outbreak

Nigeria could declare its current Ebola outbreak over by December 7, 2026, if no new confirmed or probable cases are reported following the evacuation of its index patient to Switzerland.

Health and Social Welfare Minister Muhammad Pate said Monday that the country must complete 42 consecutive days without new cases to meet the World Health Organisation’s criteria for ending the outbreak.

In a post on X, Pate said the proposed date was provisional and would depend on the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and WHO validating the monitoring period.

“Following the imported Ebola index patient’s medical evacuation from Nigeria today, 26 October, 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,” Pate said.

He cautioned that any additional confirmed or probable infection would restart the 42-day countdown.

“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,” he added.

The announcement followed the evacuation of Nigeria’s first imported Ebola patient in more than a decade and her husband to Switzerland on Monday.

WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said the 42-year-old woman was clinically stable after Nigerian medical teams successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness.

Although the evacuation has left Nigeria without any known active Ebola cases, authorities say surveillance and contact tracing must continue to guard against further infections.

Pate said response teams were prioritising the monitoring of identified contacts, investigating suspected cases and strengthening preparedness in health facilities.

“Our immediate priorities remain active monitoring of all identified contacts, prompt investigation of alerts and strengthened readiness across our health facilities,” he said.

He added that the government was coordinating with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state health authorities and development partners to prevent community transmission.