Nigeria Could Declare Ebola Outbreak Over by December 7, 2026, FG Says

The Federal Government has said Nigeria could declare its Ebola outbreak over as early as December 7, 2026, provided no further confirmed or probable cases are detected and the country satisfies the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) requirements.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the provisional timeline in a post on his verified X account on Monday evening. He stressed that the proposed date depends on continued contact monitoring and validation of the required 42-day countdown by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and the WHO.

“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 wrote.

The minister cautioned that the date is not final and could change if another case is identified. Any additional case would require a fresh countdown in line with the relevant WHO criteria.

Nigeria confirmed an Ebola case in the Federal Capital Territory on October 20, according to the report. The patient had reportedly travelled from Uganda, developed symptoms on October 7 and sought medical attention on October 11 before the infection was confirmed.

The NCDC said on Sunday that it was monitoring 53 primary contacts linked to the confirmed case. Contact tracing and surveillance remain central to the response, as health authorities work to identify potential infections and prevent further transmission.

Under WHO criteria, an Ebola outbreak can be declared over after 42 consecutive days without a new confirmed case, provided the necessary conditions for ending transmission have been met. Authorities must therefore establish that the monitoring period has been completed and that the outbreak meets the required standards before making an official declaration.

The development follows the medical evacuation of the patient and her husband to Switzerland on Monday. Pate said the patient’s condition had improved significantly and that she was stable, conscious and able to communicate, with laboratory results approaching baseline levels.

The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health said the patient was receiving treatment at Geneva University Hospital, while her husband, described as a close contact, was isolated at Zurich University Hospital. Swiss authorities said the hospitals had specialised isolation facilities and trained personnel to manage infectious diseases such as Ebola.

The Swiss agency also stated that the situation posed no public health risk to Switzerland and confirmed that it was coordinating with the hospitals and relevant authorities.

Switzerland’s federal councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, reportedly thanked Nigerian health professionals for caring for the two Swiss nationals before their evacuation.

For Nigeria, the immediate priority remains monitoring identified contacts, strengthening preparedness in health facilities and preventing additional infections. December 7 remains a provisional target, not a confirmed date for declaring the outbreak over.