Video: Nigeria evacuates index ebola patient to Switzerland — Health Minister

Abdullateef Fowewe

Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has confirmed that the country’s first imported Ebola virus disease case was medically evacuated to Switzerland early on Monday morning.

This Minister confirmed this in a statement on Monday.

Pate said, “I Confirm that, with my approval, earlier this morning, the index case for Nigeria’s first imported Ebola virus disease departed Abuja for Switzerland.

“The index patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious, communicating, and her clinical laboratory test results closing towards baseline. This does not mean she is not still infectious, hence the strict protocols in place.”

The patient was evacuated along with her spouse, who has remained asymptomatic.

Pate thanked clinical staff for the high-quality care provided and public health personnel for ensuring the evacuation followed best-practice measures.

He added that further updates would be provided after the pair land successfully in their destination and urged Nigerians to remain vigilant while relying on information from credible sources.

All public health containment measures continue.

The patient is a 42-year-old Ugandan-born woman and wife of a Swiss diplomat based in Abuja.

She is Nigeria’s first confirmed Ebola case in more than a decade. She tested positive after returning from Uganda earlier in October and had been receiving care in the country.

Health authorities identified dozens of contacts for monitoring as part of the response to the imported case.

The World Health Organization’s Regional Director for Africa later noted that Nigeria currently has no active Ebola cases following the successful medical evacuation of the patient and her husband.