By Wumi Oyehan
Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), on Tuesday, assured Nigerians that Ebola outbreak will not affect the forthcoming general elections in 2027.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, disclosed this during a capacity-building workshop for journalists on effective Ebola reporting.
The DG dismissed the rumour that the outbreak could affect the election, describing the reports as “entirely false.”
He said the 54 primary contacts linked to the Ebola patient evacuated to Switzerland remain under daily surveillance, while three symptomatic contacts tested negative.
Idris said most of the 54 contacts were in quarantine in Abuja, while a few were observing self-quarantine at home.
He added that three contacts, who developed symptoms last week, were tested, and all returned negative results.
He said surveillance would continue, including tracing secondary contacts, to establish the extent of possible exposure and rule out community transmission.
He cautioned against claims that Nigeria had been declared Ebola-free, stressing that the country currently has no confirmed case, but surveillance remains ongoing.
Idris said the infected woman, who was evacuated to Switzerland with her husband on October 26, 2026 at the request and expense of the Swiss government, was “stable, conscious, and in better clinical condition” when she left Nigeria.
He rejected suggestions that the evacuation amounted to a vote of no confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system, saying the patient had initially been in poor condition, but improved before her departure.
The NCDC also confirmed N100,000 weekly support for people placed under quarantine to cushion the hardship caused by movement restrictions.
Idris urged journalists to verify information, avoid stigmatising patients and contacts, and protect their privacy.
He reminded the public that Ebola is transmitted through contact with body fluids of an infected person who is sick, not through the air.
He advised anyone with fever and relevant travel or contact history to call the designated Ebola hotline, 6232, before visiting a healthcare facility.