According to the ministry, contact tracing, quarantine and monitoring are ongoing as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the virus.
Nigeria’s confirmed Ebola patient, identified as the wife of a Swiss diplomat, is showing signs of recovery, while the Federal Government says there is currently no evidence of community spread of the virus.
The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare disclosed this in an update posted on its official X account on Friday, amid concerns over the confirmed case and the potential risk of further infections.
According to the ministry, contact tracing, quarantine and monitoring are ongoing as health authorities intensify efforts to contain the virus.
“The Federal Government has provided an update on the confirmed Ebola case in Nigeria, reporting that the patient is showing signs of recovery. There is currently no evidence of community spread,” the ministry stated.
It added that the government was strengthening national coordination, health facility preparedness and other public health measures to prevent further transmission.
The ministry also urged Nigerians to observe recommended precautions, rely on information from recognised health authorities and avoid sharing unverified reports.
The latest update comes after Nigeria’s Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, said there was no public health indication requiring the cancellation or alteration of planned large gatherings following the confirmation of the Ebola case.
Pate, however, said the government would reconsider its position if the situation changed, stressing that decisions would be guided by scientific evidence and consultations with public health experts.
“At this moment, there is no indication that requires us to alter the course of large gatherings that have been planned. But if the situation changes, we’ll make a determination, we’ll consult broadly with the right experts and make that determination,” he said.
The minister also cautioned political leaders against politicising the Ebola situation, describing public health as an issue that should unite Nigerians regardless of their political affiliations, ethnic backgrounds or religious beliefs.
“We certainly will encourage them to not politicise a humanitarian and public health issue. If there’s one issue that will unite Nigerians, it is health. Because health has no political party, has no citizenship, has no nationality, has no tribe, no religion. It is a great unifier,” Pate said.
He warned that allowing political considerations to influence decisions that could prevent avoidable deaths would amount to a failure of responsibility by public health professionals.
“Any death from this outbreak, if it can be prevented, and we don’t prevent it because of a political consideration, I think we have failed in our duties as public health professionals,” he added.
Pate also urged journalists to rely on credible expert sources and avoid spreading rumours and misinformation capable of undermining public confidence in the country’s response.
The ministry’s latest statement indicates that the patient is improving and that no community spread has been detected so far.
Ebola is a serious infectious disease that can spread through direct contact with the blood or other bodily fluids of an infected person who is symptomatic, or with contaminated materials.
