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Nigeria’s efforts to prevent further transmission of Ebola are continuing despite the evacuation of the country’s confirmed patient to Switzerland, where she has arrived for further medical care alongside her husband.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, confirmed that the patient is receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospitals, while her husband has been placed in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.
Pate disclosed that Swiss authorities had confirmed their safe arrival, adding that both countries worked with the World Health Organisation to facilitate the medical transfer. He also commended the Nigerian medical personnel who stabilised the patient before her departure.
According to the minister, health officials in Nigeria are still monitoring 52 identified contacts and investigating new alerts as part of efforts to prevent a wider outbreak. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention is coordinating the surveillance exercise with support from international health agencies.
The World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, Dr Mohamed Janabi, had earlier announced that Nigeria currently had no active Ebola cases following the evacuation. However, he stressed that continued surveillance remained necessary, as people who may have been exposed to the virus must be monitored.
Pate explained that the patient’s condition had improved considerably before she was evacuated from Abuja on October 26. She was reportedly stable, conscious and able to communicate, although the minister cautioned that clinical improvement did not necessarily mean she was no longer infectious.
The Federal Government confirmed Nigeria’s first imported case of Ebola on October 20, after a woman who had travelled from Uganda tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain. Health authorities subsequently activated contact tracing and other emergency response measures.
Meanwhile, the Kebbi State Ministry of Health is strengthening its preparedness through plans to screen passengers at selected entry and exit points, including the Ahmadu Bello International Airport in Birnin Kebbi. Officials have begun assessing the airport’s readiness as the state works to improve early detection and disease surveillance.
Authorities have urged Nigerians to remain calm, cooperate with contact-tracing teams and rely on verified public health updates. They also stressed that continued vigilance and prompt reporting of suspected infections remain essential to preventing further transmission.
