Nigeria's Health Minister Addresses Ebola Case Response

Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Minister of Health and Social Welfare, announced on Thursday in Abuja that there is no immediate need to cancel political campaigns or large public gatherings following Nigeria's confirmation of an imported Ebola virus disease case. He assured the public that the patient is receiving treatment and showing signs of recovery.

The patient was asymptomatic upon arrival in Nigeria but developed symptoms shortly after, leading to contact tracing. High-risk contacts have been quarantined, while others are isolated.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its incident management system to coordinate the national response, collaborating with the Federal Capital Territory authorities. The Federal Government has briefed various bodies, including the Presidential Task Force and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, and has allocated additional resources to support the response.

The government is also working with the World Health Organisation and other partners to manage the outbreak and is planning further genomic sequencing of the virus.