The World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that 53 people who had contact with Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient are being monitored as the country works to prevent further transmission of the virus.
The WHO said Nigeria must complete a 42-day monitoring period before it can be declared free of Ebola, despite the medical evacuation of the infected patient and her husband to Switzerland.
Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, explained that the monitoring process was necessary to establish that no further transmission had occurred among individuals who might have been exposed to the virus.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Wednesday, Ihekweazu said the 53 identified contacts would undergo 21 days of monitoring, followed by another 21-day period before Nigeria could receive the all-clear.
He stressed that the procedure was in line with standard WHO protocols applied to countries responding to similar Ebola incidents.
The clarification followed an earlier announcement by the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, who said Nigeria currently had no active Ebola cases following the evacuation of the patient and her husband to Switzerland.
Janabi noted that Nigerian medical personnel had successfully stabilised the patient before her evacuation, while Swiss authorities would take responsibility for her continued treatment and the monitoring of her husband, who was identified as the 53rd contact.
However, Ihekweazu emphasised that the absence of active cases did not mean Nigeria could immediately be declared Ebola-free, as health authorities still needed to complete the required surveillance period.
He also dismissed suggestions that the evacuation was necessitated by inadequate medical facilities or treatment capacity in Nigeria, explaining that it was carried out at the request of the patient’s country of origin.
According to him, Nigeria’s response had been commendable, particularly in the areas of laboratory confirmation, genetic sequencing and clinical management of the patient.
The WHO official further explained that every confirmed Ebola case required an organised public health response because the disease belongs to a group of infections known as viral haemorrhagic fevers.
On concerns about public gatherings, Ihekweazu said the WHO had not recommended restrictions on political rallies or other gatherings, stressing that its advice was based on technical assessments rather than political considerations.
He urged Nigerians to cooperate with health authorities and avoid politicising the situation, noting that the immediate priority was to monitor all identified contacts daily, detect any possible new infections early and respond promptly.
Ihekweazu expressed confidence that Nigeria could contain the incident through sustained cooperation between the government, health agencies and the WHO.
The 42-day monitoring period is therefore expected to remain a key requirement in determining whether the country has successfully contained the Ebola incident.
