Nigeria may be declared free of Ebola by December 7, 2026, if no new cases are confirmed, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Pate, has said.
Pate disclosed this on Monday through his official X handle, explaining that the proposed date would depend on the successful completion of the 42-day countdown stipulated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for declaring an Ebola outbreak over.
The minister cautioned that the emergence of any new confirmed or probable case would require a fresh countdown in line with WHO guidelines.
His statement followed the medical evacuation of an infected Swiss woman and her spouse from Nigeria to Switzerland on Monday, October 26, amid ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak.
Pate confirmed that both individuals had arrived safely in Switzerland. He said the woman was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospitals, while her spouse was in isolation at the University Hospital Zurich.
The minister added that the infected patient was clinically stable following treatment by Nigerian medical personnel before her evacuation.
The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Professor Mohamed Janabi, had also stated that Nigeria currently had no Ebola cases following the evacuation of the infected patient and her husband.
Despite the development, Pate said Nigerian health authorities would sustain contact tracing, investigate suspected cases and strengthen preparedness across health facilities to prevent community transmission.
He explained that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare was working with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, state health authorities, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and international partners to ensure effective containment.
The minister urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and follow official updates from the NCDC and the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Pate also disclosed that Switzerland had expressed appreciation for the medical care provided to its citizens by Nigerian health professionals and the cooperation between both countries and the WHO that facilitated the evacuation.
He said the proposed December 7 date remained provisional pending validation of the 42-day countdown by the NCDC and WHO.
