The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, has confirmed that Nigeria’s Ebola affected person and her husband arrived safely in Switzerland on Monday following their medical evacuation from Abuja.
In an replace posted on his official X account, Mr Pate mentioned the affected person was receiving therapy at Geneva University Hospitals, whereas her husband had been positioned in isolation at University Hospital Zurich.
“The Swiss authorities have confirmed that the patient and her spouse arrived safely in Switzerland today,” he mentioned.
The Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH), in an announcement issued on Monday, additionally confirmed their arrival, saying each people, who’re Swiss residents, had been transported from Nigeria aboard a medical evacuation flight.
The company mentioned the lady was receiving therapy for Bundibugyo virus illness, a type of Ebola, whereas her husband, recognized as a detailed contact, remained in isolation.
It defined that each hospitals had the required amenities and educated medical personnel to handle such circumstances safely.
The Swiss authorities mentioned the preparations posed no threat to public well being in the nation.
Switzerland commends Nigeria
Mr Pate mentioned Switzerland’s Federal Councillor, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, expressed appreciation for the care supplied by Nigerian well being professionals and the cooperation between each nations and the World Health Organisation (WHO), which made the evacuation potential.
He mentioned the appreciation was conveyed throughout a phone dialog with the Swiss official.
The Swiss authorities additionally confirmed the dialog, saying Ms Baume-Schneider thanked Nigerian medical doctors, different healthcare professionals and authorities for his or her efforts.
Mr Pate equally thanked healthcare and public well being groups in Nigeria and Switzerland, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), Swiss well being authorities and the WHO for his or her roles in the evacuation.
Contact monitoring continues
Despite the affected person’s departure, Mr Pate mentioned Nigeria’s response to the Ebola case was persevering with.
“Here in Nigeria, contact monitoring, investigation of alerts and other containment measures continue,” he mentioned, including that the response was receiving assist from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Africa.
The WHO mentioned Nigeria was persevering with to observe 52 contacts, whereas Switzerland had taken accountability for the affected person’s care and monitoring her husband, who was among the many 53 contacts beforehand recognized.
The NCDC had earlier recognized 53 major contacts linked to the confirmed case, together with healthcare staff, the affected person’s husband, home employees and personnel concerned in gathering samples.
Health authorities are monitoring the contacts for potential signs to detect any extra infections and stop additional transmission.
Mr Pate had earlier mentioned Nigeria may declare the Ebola outbreak over as early as 7 December if no additional confirmed or possible circumstances had been detected.
Nigeria’s index case
Nigeria confirmed its first Ebola case on 20 October, after a 42-year-old Ugandan-born lady dwelling in Abuja examined constructive for the illness.
The affected person had returned to Nigeria on 3 October after travelling to Uganda and developed signs few days later.
She was subsequently admitted to a well being facility in Abuja, the place she acquired therapy in isolation earlier than her evacuation to Switzerland on Monday.
Following her evacuation, WHO mentioned Nigeria had no energetic confirmed Ebola circumstances, though contact monitoring and different containment measures had been persevering with.
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