The patient was flown to Switzerland by air ambulance on Monday, October 26, 2026, for further medical treatment. Her husband was also evacuated.
Following the evacuation, the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, stated that Nigeria currently had no Ebola cases. However, some media platforms interpreted the statement as confirmation that the country had been declared Ebola-free.
In a post on X on Monday, October 26, the WHO rejected that interpretation, describing it as inaccurate and misleading.
“WHO has not declared Nigeria Ebola-free. Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola following the medical evacuation of the index patient to Switzerland,” the organisation stated.
The global health agency explained that the absence of an active confirmed case does not automatically mean that an Ebola outbreak has officially ended.
It added that health authorities were continuing to monitor 52 contacts who might have been exposed to the virus, stressing the importance of surveillance and follow-up measures to prevent potential further transmission.
According to the WHO, a country can be declared Ebola-free only after completing a specified monitoring period following the last confirmed patient’s recovery or other relevant case outcome.
The organisation explained that the 42-day countdown begins after the last confirmed patient tests negative for the virus twice, in line with the established protocol.
The same procedure applies to Nigeria following the evacuation of the index patient, meaning the country must still satisfy the required conditions before an official declaration can be made.
The WHO further noted that the 42-day period would be followed by heightened surveillance to help identify any new infections that might emerge.
The clarification underscores the distinction between having no active confirmed cases and officially declaring an outbreak over. The latter requires health authorities to complete the prescribed monitoring period and ensure that no new infections have been detected.
The WHO also called on the media organisation responsible for publishing a headline suggesting that Nigeria had been declared Ebola-free to retract and correct the report.
It described the headline as an inaccurate interpretation of Janabi’s earlier statement, warning against reporting that could create a misleading impression of the country’s Ebola status.
The development highlights the importance of accurate public communication during disease outbreaks, when premature declarations can affect public awareness and compliance with health monitoring measures.
Although the evacuation of the index patient means Nigeria currently has no confirmed active Ebola case, the continued monitoring of potentially exposed contacts remains an important part of the public health response.
The WHO’s position is that Nigeria cannot yet be described as officially Ebola-free until the applicable monitoring requirements have been met.
Health authorities are therefore expected to maintain surveillance and follow established procedures before confirming that the outbreak has ended.
