Nigeria not declared Ebola-free - WHO releases new statement

The World Health Organisation has clarified that Nigeria has not been declared Ebola-free, despite having no active confirmed case in the country following the medical evacuation of its index patient. The patient was flown to Switzerland by air ambulance on Monday, October 26, for further medical treatment. Her husband was also evacuated.

Following the evacuation, WHO Regional Director for Africa Mohamed Janabi said Nigeria currently had no Ebola cases. Some platforms interpreted the statement to mean that the country had been declared Ebola-free. However, in a post on X on Monday, October 26, the WHO said that interpretation was 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 WHO said the absence of an active confirmed case did not amount to an official declaration that the outbreak had ended. It added that health officials were monitoring 52 contacts who may have been exposed to the virus.

According to the organisation, a country can be declared Ebola-free after a 42-day period following the last confirmed patient testing negative twice for the virus. The WHO said the countdown also applies in Nigeria’s current situation following the evacuation.

The 42-day period is followed by heightened surveillance to detect any possible new infections. The WHO called on the media organisation responsible for the Ebola-free headline to retract and correct it, describing the headline as an inaccurate interpretation of the regional director’s earlier post.