RismadarVoice Reporters
October 21, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has disclosed that Nigeria is working closely with Uganda and relevant international health authorities to contain the country’s newly confirmed Ebola case and prevent further transmission.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Wednesday after a meeting at the Office of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.
Pate said both countries were cooperating to establish the circumstances surrounding the infection and strengthen measures against the possible spread of the disease.
The minister explained that Nigeria’s immediate priority was to manage the confirmed case, trace individuals who might have been exposed and prevent the infection from spreading within the population.
He said the government had activated its emergency public health response, with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) and other relevant agencies coordinating surveillance and containment activities.
The development followed the confirmation of an imported case of Ebola virus disease in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday, October 20.
According to health authorities, the patient, a woman who arrived in Nigeria on October 3 after travelling through Uganda, began experiencing symptoms on October 7.
She reportedly sought medical attention at a private health facility in Abuja on October 11 before laboratory investigations confirmed infection with the Bundibugyo Ebola virus on October 20.
The World Health Organisation confirmed that the patient had been placed in isolation and was receiving medical care.
Health authorities have identified 44 individuals who may have been exposed to the patient and are monitoring them as part of ongoing contact-tracing efforts.
However, the Ugandan Ministry of Health has clarified that the country has no confirmed active Ebola cases.
Ugandan health officials said preliminary investigations indicated that the woman had travelled to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo before passing through Uganda.
They stressed that travelling through Uganda did not establish that the infection originated there, adding that investigations were continuing to determine the patient’s exposure history.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain calm but vigilant, assuring the public that the country had established response systems and experience from its successful containment of Ebola in 2014.
He emphasised that public cooperation would be essential, particularly among individuals directed to undergo monitoring or isolation.
The minister also warned against spreading unverified information capable of generating unnecessary fear.
He encouraged Nigerians to follow guidance issued by the NCDC and other recognised public health institutions.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has called for heightened surveillance, stronger infection prevention measures and improved preparedness across affected and neighbouring countries.
The organisation stressed that early detection, contact tracing and the protection of healthcare workers remained essential to preventing further transmission.
As investigations continue, the Federal Government has pledged to provide public updates and adjust its response measures according to developments.
