RismadarVoice Reporters
October 26, 2026
The Federal Government of Nigeria has confirmed the medical evacuation of Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola patient in more than a decade to Switzerland following significant improvement in her health condition.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed the development on Monday, October 26, through his official X account, confirming that the patient departed Abuja earlier in the morning with his approval.
Pate explained that the 42-year-old woman, who tested positive for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus disease, had shown considerable clinical improvement before her evacuation.
According to the minister, the patient was stable, conscious and able to communicate, while her laboratory results were gradually returning towards baseline levels.
However, he cautioned that the improvement did not establish that the patient was no longer infectious, emphasising that strict infection prevention and public health protocols remained necessary.
The woman was evacuated alongside her husband, a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, who had remained asymptomatic and whose earlier laboratory test returned negative for Ebola.
Pate commended the medical professionals responsible for the patient’s treatment and the public health personnel who coordinated her evacuation in accordance with established safety procedures.
He assured Nigerians that the government would provide further updates following their arrival in Switzerland.
The evacuation follows Nigeria’s confirmation of an imported Ebola case on October 20, after laboratory investigations established that the patient had contracted the virus.
Health authorities said the woman arrived in Nigeria from Uganda through Addis Ababa on October 3 and subsequently developed symptoms, including fever, diarrhoea, body pains and a sore throat.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed on Sunday that 53 individuals who had contact with the patient had been identified for monitoring.
The agency also confirmed that two suspected Ebola cases reported in the Federal Capital Territory and Rivers State had tested negative.
NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said contact tracing, laboratory surveillance and infection prevention measures would continue to prevent further transmission.
He explained that identified contacts would undergo monitoring for 21 days following their last possible exposure.
Pate urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, cooperate with public health authorities and rely on verified information as the government intensifies measures to contain the imported infection.
