Nigeria has taken another major step in its response to the recent Ebola outbreak following the medical evacuation of the country’s first confirmed patient to Switzerland for further care.
The patient, a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman who is married to a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja, was flown out of Nigeria on Monday, October 26, 2026, aboard a medical evacuation aircraft.
According to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Ali Pate, the woman’s condition had improved significantly before the journey. He confirmed that she was stable, conscious and able to communicate, with her laboratory results moving towards normal levels.
Her husband accompanied her on the flight and had not shown any symptoms of the disease at the time of the evacuation.
The woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola on October 20, making her Nigeria’s first confirmed case in more than a decade. She reportedly developed symptoms several days after returning from Uganda earlier in October and sought treatment at private health facilities in Abuja before her infection was confirmed.
Health authorities are still investigating how she contracted the virus. One possibility being examined is whether she may have had an indirect connection to another Ebola patient who travelled through Uganda around the same time. However, no direct link has been established.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 53 people who may have come into contact with the patient. They are being monitored for possible symptoms.
The government has urged Nigerians to remain calm, follow official health advice and avoid spreading unverified information as efforts continue to prevent further infections.