Nigeria could declare end of Ebola outbreak on 7 December
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Businessday
Nigeria could declare the end of its Ebola outbreak on 7 December if no new confirmed or probable case is detected, Health Minister Muhammad Pate said. The 42-day period must be validated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation, according to Businessday.
Nigeria could declare the end of its Ebola outbreak as early as 7 December 2026 if no new confirmed or probable case is detected, Muhammad Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, said on Monday. The date remains provisional and must be validated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), according to Businessday.
Nigerian authorities are monitoring 53 people who had contact with the index case and investigating alerts reported in the country. The patient, a 42-year-old woman born in Uganda and the wife of a Swiss diplomat posted to Abuja, was evacuated to Switzerland with her husband, identified as a contact, on 26 October. Her infection was confirmed on 20 October after she arrived in Nigeria on 3 October and developed symptoms on 7 October.
The 42-day period set by WHO criteria would restart if a new confirmed or probable case emerged. Response teams are working with the administration of the Federal Capital Territory, state health authorities and their partners to prevent community transmission, Pate said. The announcement comes after Nigeria said the outbreak remained contained on 23 October, and after the patient was evacuated to Switzerland.
