Nigeria currently has no active cases of Ebola Virus Disease following the successful medical evacuation of an infected patient and her husband to Switzerland, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Monday morning. ​The WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Mohamed Janabi, announced the development in an official statement released via his verified X handle on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The evacuation was executed in the early morning hours, transferring both the primary patient, a Swiss national who imported the Bundibugyo strain after arriving in Nigeria on October 3, and her husband back to their home country. ​Nigerian healthcare professionals at an isolation facility in Abuja successfully managed the primary patient through the acute phase of her illness, stabilizing her clinical condition prior to departure.
Following this stabilization, Swiss health authorities took over long-term clinical management for the patient and follow-up monitoring for her spouse. ​”Earlier this morning, the Ebola patient in Nigeria and her contact, who is also her husband, were medically evacuated to Switzerland,” Dr. Janabi stated. “The Nigerian medical team successfully managed her through the acute phase of the illness and stabilized her condition.” ​
Dr. Janabi commended the Federal Government of Nigeria, emergency responders, clinicians, and health workers, describing their swift handling of the case as a testament to African resilience, public health leadership, and clinical expertise. ​Addressing the ongoing response, Nigeria’s Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Muhammad Ali Pate, reassured the public that stringent public health surveillance protocols remain active.
While the initial patient was successfully stabilized and transferred, public health authorities will maintain rigorous monitoring until the full observation window lapses. ​Prior to the evacuation, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) identified 53 contacts in Abuja.
With the patient’s husband, identified as contact number 53, now evacuated to Switzerland, Nigerian public health teams are continuing the strict 21-day follow-up and monitoring of the remaining 52 local contacts. Enhanced health screening protocols also remain enforced at points of entry across the country to prevent secondary transmissions or potential imported cases.
