Nigeria’s index case of imported Ebola virus disease has been evacuated from Abuja to Switzerland following significant clinical improvement, the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has said.
Pate disclosed this in a post on X on Monday, confirming that the evacuation was carried out earlier in the day with his approval.
According to the minister, the patient was stable, conscious and able to communicate, while her laboratory test results were approaching baseline levels.
He, however, warned that the improvement in her condition did not mean she was no longer infectious, stressing that strict public health protocols remained in place.
“This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place,” Pate stated.
The patient was evacuated alongside her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic, the minister said.
Pate commended the clinical staff who treated the patient and the public health personnel who coordinated the evacuation, noting their efforts to ensure that the process complied with appropriate public health measures.
He added that the government would provide further updates later on Monday after the patient and her spouse had arrived safely at their destination.
The minister also reassured Nigerians that measures to contain the imported virus were ongoing and urged the public to remain vigilant and rely on credible sources of information.
“All public health measures are continuing to ensure successful containment of the imported virus,” he said.