Nigeria Records No Active Ebola Cases After Patient’s Evacuation to Switzerland

According to the World Health Organisation’s Regional Director for Africa, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, Nigeria currently has no active Ebola cases following the medical evacuation of the country’s index patient and her husband to Switzerland on Monday, October 26, 2026.

Janabi disclosed this in a post on his official X account, confirming that the Swiss couple had been evacuated earlier in the day for continued medical care and follow-up.

The development followed an announcement by Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who confirmed that the patient, Nigeria’s first imported Ebola case in more than a decade, had departed Abuja aboard a medical evacuation aircraft alongside her husband.

According to Janabi, both individuals are Swiss citizens, and the patient was clinically stable following treatment by Nigerian medical personnel.

“The Nigerian medical team successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilised her condition,” he said.

The WHO regional director commended the Federal Government, health workers, clinicians, emergency responders and other partners involved in managing the case, describing their efforts as a remarkable demonstration of African expertise and cooperation in public health.

He said the successful management of the patient reflected what African countries could achieve through collaboration and effective emergency response.

However, Janabi stressed that the evacuation does not mean Nigeria’s public health response has ended. He explained that Nigerian authorities would continue monitoring 52 identified contacts linked to the patient, while Switzerland would assume responsibility for her continued treatment and the monitoring of her husband, identified as contact number 53.

“With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases,” Janabi stated, while emphasising the importance of continued vigilance.

Earlier, Pate said the patient’s condition had improved significantly. She was stable, conscious and able to communicate, with her laboratory results moving towards baseline levels.

He, however, cautioned that her improved condition did not necessarily mean she was no longer infectious, explaining that strict public health protocols were maintained throughout the evacuation process. Her husband, meanwhile, remained asymptomatic.

The patient was diagnosed with the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola virus disease on October 20, 2026, after returning to Nigeria from Uganda.

Despite the evacuation, health authorities are continuing contact tracing and other containment measures to prevent further transmission.

Janabi congratulated all those involved in the response, describing the development as a proud moment for Nigeria and Africa’s public health sector.

The WHO has urged continued vigilance as Nigeria maintains surveillance of the identified contacts.

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