The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Nigeria has not been officially declared Ebola-free despite having no confirmed active cases following the evacuation of the country’s index patient to Switzerland.
The patient was evacuated by air ambulance on Monday for further medical treatment, prompting the WHO to clarify reports suggesting that Nigeria had been declared free of the virus.
Mohamed Janabi, WHO regional director for Africa, had earlier said Nigeria currently had no Ebola cases following the evacuation of the patient and her husband, both Swiss citizens.
“With the evacuation of the patient and her husband, Nigeria currently has no Ebola cases,” Janabi said.
However, some media platforms interpreted the statement to mean that Nigeria had been declared Ebola-free.
In a post on X on Monday, the WHO described such reports as inaccurate and misleading, stressing that the absence of confirmed cases does not amount to an official declaration that the outbreak has ended.
“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 said.
WHO monitors 52 contacts
The WHO said health officials were monitoring 52 contacts who might have been exposed to the virus.
According to the organisation, a country can be declared Ebola-free only after 42 days have passed since the last confirmed case tests negative twice for the virus, in line with the International Health Regulations.
The WHO said the 42-day countdown also applies to Nigeria following the evacuation of the confirmed case.
After the countdown, heightened surveillance continues to help detect any potential new infections.
The organisation urged the media outlet responsible for the headline to retract and correct its report, describing it as an inaccurate interpretation of Janabi’s earlier statement on X.
