The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has defended the evacuation of Nigeria’s Ebola patient to Switzerland, dismissing claims that the transfer demonstrated a lack of confidence in the country’s healthcare system.
The NCDC Director-General, Dr Jide Idris, said the patient had received treatment from Nigerian medical professionals and was in a stable and conscious condition when she left the country.
Idris made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja during a capacity-building programme for journalists on effective Ebola reporting. He cautioned against politicising the evacuation or spreading claims that the outbreak would be used to impose a lockdown, restrict movement or interfere with the 2027 general elections.
According to Dr Jide Idris, the patient’s evacuation did not mean Nigeria had been declared free of Ebola. He warned that premature declarations could weaken public vigilance while health authorities continued monitoring people who had contact with the infected woman.
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The NCDC also stressed the importance of protecting patients’ and contacts’ identities, warning that public exposure could discourage cooperation with contact-tracing teams.
The development highlights the importance of clear public communication during disease outbreaks. Continued surveillance, accurate reporting and public cooperation remain essential to preventing further transmission and maintaining confidence in public health measures.
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